Couple Says 'I Do' in Disco-Themed C-store Bathroom
VERONA, Ky. — On Feb. 14, one couple will emerge from a disco bathroom as husband and wife and enter the dance floor of life together.
HOP Shops, a venture of Owensboro-based Valor Oil, is taking romance to the next level with nuptials that will redefine the wedding experience. The convenience store retailer, which has become known for its disco bathrooms, will host a wedding in the restroom of its Verona location on Valentine's Day, complete with vibrant colors, glittering disco balls and a pulsating beat.
The bride, Tiana Ailstock, who began working at the Verona Hop Shop a month ago. When the district manager, David Biery, joked with Ailstock about getting married in the disco bathroom, she liked the idea of having a unique and fun experience. Biery, an ordained minister, is licensed to marry Ailstock and her fiancé, Logen Abeny.
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The disco bathroom will be adorned with décor, and the ceremony has been customized to include wording about HOP Shops, disco and love, including:
- "Pastor: Logen, do you take Tiana to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, through disco beats and quiet moments, in sickness and health, and to hop through life together in love?"
- "Groom: Tiana, from the first dance in that disco bathroom to this moment, I vow to hop through life with you. Through the funky beats and mellow melodies, I promise to be your partner in every rhythm of life, embracing our journey with love and laughter."
- "Bride: Logen, in disco bathrooms and on the dance floor of life, I choose you. I promise to hop alongside you through all the twists and turns, finding joy in our shared moments and creating a dance of love that lasts a lifetime."
When it's time to share their first kiss as husband and wife, Ailstock and Abeny will "push the red button" — a ritual of excitement that HOP Shops has become known for inside its disco bathrooms — and a special song will play.
"With each beat of the music, our excitement grows, knowing that soon we'll be declaring our love in front of our closest friends and family," Ailstock and Abeny told Convenience Store News. "From the moment we decided on this unconventional venue, we knew our wedding day would be nothing short of exhilarating. Now, as we stand on the brink of matrimony, the excitement is almost overwhelming."
HOP Shops will livestream the ceremony on monitors in the store and celebrate the couple with free fountain drinks and coffee to guests during the ceremony.
Pushing the Envelope
Valor Oil re-entered the convenience store business in 2018 after acquiring the assets of Florence-based Harper Oil Products Inc. and Harper Properties Inc. in a deal that included nine c-stores. Since its return to the channel, Valor Oil has become known for its fresh perspective on the c-store experience, with a commitment to being a destination for celebration and community, according to the chain.
In March 2022, Valor Oil Vice President of Retail Marketing and Operations Damon Bail came up with the idea for newly remodeled restrooms: "the disco bathroom with the red button." An unexpected red button on the wall is accompanied by a sign that reads, "Do Not Push the Red Button." When customers can't resist the urge any longer and push the button, the lights go down, music starts, color spotlights come on and a disco ball spins, giving customers the chance to dance.
On March 16, 2023, the first HOP Shops disco bathrooms opened at the Verona convenience store, garnering an immediate customer response. Customers' videos shared on TikTok and YouTube have gone viral with more than 50 million views, according to the c-store chain.
There are currently six HOP Shops locations that feature the disco bathrooms. Each plays a different song:
- 2832 Verona-Mudlick Road, Verona, Ky., "Stayin' Alive" by The Bee Gees
- 8063 U.S. 42, Florence, Ky., "Diamonds" by Rhianna
- 195 Mary Grubbs Highway, Walton, Ky., "Time of My Life" by Bill Medley
- 3213 Highway 227, Carrollton, Ky., "Dancing Queen" by ABBA
- 3189 Western Row Road, Maineville, Ohio, "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus
- 430 Mt Zion Road, Florence, Ky., "Dancing in the Dark" by Bruce Springsteen
Founded in 1966, Valor Oil is a third-generation family-owned company. Today it operates six petroleum bulk plants in Kentucky and South Carolina; 132 c-store dealer locations; a race fuel division; and 10 HOP Shops c-stores in northern Kentucky, three in southern Ohio and one truck plaza in Owensboro.