Terrible Herbst Inc. Founder and Chairman Jerry Herbst died Tuesday at the age of 80, the company announced in a statement.
Herbst founded the Las Vegas-based company in 1959. Today, Terrible Herbst owns and operates more than 160 convenience stores, car wash and lube locations throughout Southern Nevada.
Herbst was also an executive with JETT Gaming, a Nevada slot machine route operation that services games at the company’s convenience stores and other locations in Nevada. This summer, the company opened Terrible’s Road House in Jean, Nevada, about 15 miles south of Las Vegas on Interstate 15. The 50,000-square-foot convenience store has the world’s largest Chevron with 96 pumps.
In October, the company rebranded the Gold Strike Hotel and Gambling Hall in Jean under the name Terrible’s Hotel & Casino. JETT Gaming, Inc. purchased the property in 2015 and recently completed a series of upgrades and remodeling initiatives.
JETT Gaming was created after the bankruptcy reorganization of Herbst Gaming – now known as Affinity Gaming – left the family out of the casino industry. Jerry Herbst told Nevada gaming regulators in 2011 the idea behind JETT Gaming was to reacquire the slot machine route operations at the convenience stores when the contracts with Affinity expired.
An avid race fan and leader of Herbst Motorsports, Herbst was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame and the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame.
Herbst’s nickname of “the best bad guy of the West” is represented by the caricature logo of his businesses — a gas-slinging character with a mustache and a cowboy hat.
The giant flags, for which Terrible Herbst is known, will be lowered to half-staff in his remembrance at all Terrible Herbst locations beginning Wednesday. Plans for a memorial service are pending.
