Hmmm. At many stations, an owner or operator isn't needed to buy gas anyway. Just put a credit card in the pump, get the gas, and off you go. And of those where an operator has to be paid directly, although I have no problems with their leaving with everyone else, I wonder how many would have stayed longer if they were allowed to raise their prices.
Unfortunately, when you "close" the station, the operator has to specifically leave the pumps on. If you don't, when you close down the integrated register, the pumps go inactive.