31 US-82, Lawley AL 36793
“Amazing little bright spot in a somewhat secluded area in Lawley, AL. On our way home from Tuscaloosa (Roll Tide!), we needed a stop and had the good fortune of finding this gas station/convenience store. Amazingly well-stocked little store, clean restrooms and a charming cashier. Add this place to your places to stop in Alabama.”
6470 US-82, Maplesville AL 36750
“Coming from Florida to Tuscaloosa for the Alabama/Texas game. Decided to stop here. Tay-una has the patience of a saint! Not only was it obvious she was training the other staff member-she also was running circles on the subway line on top of successful dealing with a difficult customer. Through college, I’ve worked in the tourist industry, so I can spot a difficult customer. Just so happened there was one behind me. Tay-una never broke stride when the customer said, “the spinach was wilted” (it wasn’t-I’m eating my sandwich with spinach on it now, and it’s great!), they didn’t see her put a particular sauce on their sandwich (Tay-una did, but Tay-una politely asked them if they wanted more sauce), and, when I was cashing out and was read back my order that happened to have bacon on it, difficult customer said, “You didn’t put bacon on my sandwich, did you?!?” I’m shaking my head no at this point while Tay-una assured the customer that their sandwich did not, in fact, have bacon on it.Give this woman a raise!”
The Iowa retailer, the third-largest convenience store operator in the country, built its new three-year plan around three priorities: store growth, food and beverage expansion, and kitchen technology upgrades. The company plans to add 120 stores during the current fiscal year. Its previous plan, launched in 2023, delivered more than 500 new stores and earned the company a spot in the S&P 500.
Read the postLove's Travel Stops is starting 2025 with ambitious growth plans, adding 20 new stores and updating 50 current locations across the country. The truck stop company will upgrade its stores through its Strategic Remodel Initiative, which started in 2022. This includes the modernization of its recently acquired turnpike location in Stroud, Oklahoma. By 2035, over half of Love's 655 stores will be either new or updated.
Read the postTexas-born Buc-ee's is changing the way people think about gas stations and convenience stores. This chain is known for its huge stores along highways, some with over 100 fuel pumps. With its funny billboard ads, award-winning clean bathrooms, and branded items Buc-ee’s is hard to miss. The company wants people to actually plan to stop at Buc-ee's during road trips, not just go there as a last resort. And it's working - the chain has a huge fan base, with Facebook groups dedicated to Buc-ee's having hundreds of thousands of members.
Read the postSheetz Inc., the Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain, is making big moves in the Motor City. The company announced plans to open four more locations across metro Detroit, weeks before opening its first Michigan location. The first Michigan Sheetz will open its doors in late summer at 33380 Wick Road in Romulus. More locations are planned for Taylor, Warren, and Macomb Township, each employing around 30 people, mostly full-time.
Read the postLove's Travel Stops is rolling out a new system that turns work into a game for its restaurant employees. Picture this: Three big screens in each restaurant, tracking how fast workers greet customers, take orders, and hand out food. It's not just for show - early results say it's making service 11 seconds faster on average. "These monitors track key performance metrics in real-time, such as greet times, order processing times and the time it takes for food handoff," Love's explains. The system creates a more interactive environment, fostering friendly competition between stores.
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