Convenience Store News 2018 Store Design Contest: Best Travel Center
How does one capture the essence of Fort Worth and Texas in a travel plaza design? That was the key question at the beginning of the planning process for Big Horn Travel Center. Located “Where the West Begins,” owner Lisa Hodgkins and designer Paragon Solutions embraced the challenge and captured the spirit of the region in the travel center’s final design.
Based on the maxim that everything is bigger in Texas, the store incorporates a spacious layout filled with native materials that “scream Texas.” This includes plenty of antlers and a bear skin rug hung on the walls, plus taxidermied creatures mounted in key areas to fulfill the location’s theme of an upscale Texas hunting lodge. Wood paneling completes the rustic look.
Whether customers are on their way to work or driving cross country, Big Horn Travel Center aims to cater to hungry travelers on the go with a cross-section of prepared foods, including the Big Horn Grill, Taco Bueno and Dunkin’ Donuts. The store also has a long stretch of cooler doors and a walk-in beer cave, plus plenty of seating for dine-in customers.
To set the location apart from other travel centers along the highway, Big Horn Travel Center includes unique elements such as a fireplace and rocking chairs, which visually invite weary travelers to come in and sit for a while.
“Whether you are driving a big rig or an SUV, Big Horn Travel Center is a must-see,” according to Paragon Solutions.