By Sara Beth Williams–
An old gas station once proposed to become a quick-serve pizza restaurant almost a decade ago sold last year after plans were in limbo for some time, city officials said.
The site at 7766 Auburn Blvd., near Antelope Road and across from Rusch Park, was once a gas station and later served briefly as a donation site for a company called ReUseIt.
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In 2017, the 16,000-square-foot corner property was purchased by entrepreneur Mercer Tyson, who received approval from the city the following year to convert the building into a California Quick Slice pizza drive-thru. Plans for the pizza drive-thru restaurant on Auburn Boulevard were approved by the city’s Planning Commission in 2018.
Tyson previously told The Sentinel that the restaurant would feature several varieties of pizzas that would be pre-made daily and served up hot by the slice at the drive-thru, or picked up for take-and-bake at home.
In 2019, Tyson said financing difficulties had delayed his plans, and in 2020, he said he had acquired a building permit and hoped to have financing approved within two months’ time.
His plans were tragically cut short however. In 2021, his son-in-law confirmed that Tyson passed away.
An obituary published in the East Bay Times said Tyson died on Jan. 11, 2021, at the age of 71. He was a long time resident of Orinda, California, prior to moving to Lincoln. He left behind three children and four grandchildren.
The city confirmed in an email in early March of this year that Tyson’s family chose not to move forward with plans for the quick-serve pizza restaurant and that the property has since sold to another owner.
In 2021, Tyson’s son-in-law indicated there had been interest both from buyers who wanted to continue to turn the gas station into a drive-thru, and from buyers who wanted to continue to use the gas station for its original purpose.
Sacramento County Assessor’s Office data shows that the original building was constructed in 1969 and that the property was purchased in May 2025. The Sentinel has not been able to reach the new owner for comment.
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