What's In Store: Love's Travel Stops, Parker's Kitchen & Pilot
NATIONAL REPORT — The convenience store industry landscape is constantly changing as chains open and close stores each week. On a regular basis, Convenience Store News highlights these comings and goings in this special roundup.
Love's Travel Stops
Love's expanded its portfolio with new locations in Louisiana and Ohio. Combined, the two travel stops add 184 truck parking spaces to the company's network.
The Love's Travel Stop in New Iberia, La., sits off Highway 90 between New Orleans and Lafayette. For the professional driver, the site offers 63 additional truck parking spaces, five showers and a CAT scale. For travelers with RVs, the site offers three RV hookups, Wi-Fi and a dump station.
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Measuring more than 15,000 square feet, the site also features a Love's Fresh Kitchen concept, Godfather's Pizza and Dunkin', six diesel bays, a dog park and self-checkout options.
The Love's Travel Stop in St. Clairsville, Ohio, is located off Interstate 70. For the professional driver, it offers 121 additional truck parking spaces, laundry, showers and a CAT scale. For travelers with RVs, the site offers four RV hookups and Wi-Fi. This location also includes the company's newest Speedco location, part of the country's largest over-the-road truck maintenance network.
Additional features at the 17,600-square-foot location include a Love's Fresh Kitchen concept, Godfather's Pizza and Hardee's, nine diesel bays, a dog park and self-checkout options.
Parker's Kitchen
Parker's has been busy this year, opening several new Parker's Kitchen locations throughout its footprint.
The Parker's Kitchen in Beaufort, S.C., sits in Beaufort Station, a 200,000-square-foot retail store at the intersection of Robert Smalls Parkway and Parris Island Gateway. The location is the company's 17th store in Beaufort County, 44th store in South Carolina and 95th store overall. The Parker's Kitchen in Moncks Corner, S.C., is the company's 40th store in South Carolina and 96th store overall.
And marking a first, the convenience retailer opened its first Parker's Kitchen in Evans, Ga. The store is located in the heart of Columbia County and serves the greater Augusta community. It is the company's 97th store overall and the seventh store in the metro Augusta area.
Also in Georgia, a new Parker's Kitchen opened its doors at the intersection of Ford Ave. and Highway 17 in Richmond, Ga. The third Parker's Kitchen in Richmond Hill features a new, hand-painted version of Richmond Hill's iconic Lettuce Label mural, which was recently repainted by the original artist, Chris Walker. Parker's Kitchen commissioned Walker to recreate the mural, which references Richmond Hill's agricultural past as well as Henry Ford's historic cultivation of iceberg lettuce.
The store is the 98th Parker's Kitchen retail location.
The new stores feature Southern-style, made-from-scratch Parker's Kitchen food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The entire Parker's Kitchen menu is handcrafted on-site from the freshest ingredients by local chefs. Beverages include bean-to-cup gourmet coffee, freshly brewed sweet and unsweet tea, Fancy Lemonade, energy drinks, 28-degree beer and a wide range of fountain drinks with signature Parker's Kitchen Chewy Ice.
Pilot
Pilot has begun development of a new travel center at Empire Industrial Park in Eagle Pass, Texas. The development is made possible through a land purchase from Empire Industrial Park LLC, facilitated by commercial real estate firm Lee & Associates - Houston.
When completed this fall, the travel center will offer a variety of amenities, including:
- Fresh, hot food options and grab-and-go meals
- Pilot's "best coffee on the interstate"
- Showers
- Laundry facilities
- 24/7 safety and customer service
- Dedicated prime parking for professional drivers
- A Professional driver's lounge
- ATM services
Royal Farms
Royal Farms welcomed customers at a new convenience store in Lexington Park, Md., on March 10. The Lexington Park location features 16 fuel dispensers offering E-free fuel; 24/7 service; and fresh, made-to-order food including Royal Farms' signature World-Famous Chicken and sandwiches to a variety of breakfast options.
Sunshine Car Wash
Sunshine Car Wash held a grand opening for its latest site, located at 5202 East Fowler Ave. in Tampa, Fla., in March. The company plans to open another location also on Fowler Avenue this summer.
Sunshine Car Wash offers a drive-through experience using cutting-edge equipment and advanced car wash chemistry. To enhance customer satisfaction, both new locations provide complimentary amenities, including powerful vacuums, fresh towels and window cleaner. The car wash operator also offers mat cleaner and interior cleaning as well as air blowout services.