Store Growth, New Food Options The Focus At Love's Travel Stops
Love’s Travel Stops is embarking on aggressive growth plans for 2025 that include continued store expansion and enhancements to the food and beverage selections offered to its customers.
The convenience store chain, which focuses on the professional trucker community, will start construction on 20 new locations and update 50 current stores as part of its Strategic Remodel Initiative (SRI). Launched in 2022, the SRI reflects Love’s commitment to maintaining the freshest fleet of locations on the interstate, company officials said.
As part of the SRI, the company will update its turnpike location in Stroud, Oklahoma, the first of the turnpike locations to be remodeled that were acquired in 2023. With new locations and SRI efforts this year, more than half of Love’s 655 locations will be newly constructed or remodeled by 2035.
The company is also growing its food and drink offerings and will expand its Fresh Kitchen program through a new Culinary Innovation Center led by Greg Ekman, the company’s first director of Fresh Kitchen Strategy and Growth. Located in Oklahoma City, the center will be used to develop and test food offerings including tacos, salads, sandwiches, snack trays, and more. In addition to new fresh food offerings, customers will also see the continued expansion of Love’s private label items including new fresh juice options, candy, and flavored popcorn.
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“As we enter the year, we’re committed to continuing to enhance the customer experience for all,” said Shane Wharton, president of Love’s. “This year, we’re excited to introduce new and updated locations, innovative food and drinks, and continued improvement of the services and amenities we offer. With our continued focus on the evolving needs of customers, we’re confident we’ll provide an even better experience across our network in 2025.”
Love’s is also enhancing its quick-service restaurants and will work to improve the speed and service for its customers including the addition of the “order ahead” features to its Love’s Connect app at several locations. The company is one of the largest QSR operators in the U.S. with 19 concepts that are owned or leased.
For professional truck drivers, Love’s this year plans to add approximately 1,000 new truck parking spaces to its network, surpassing 50,000 spaces across the U.S. Love’s will provide additional support to drivers by adding 12 maintenance bays and six emergency roadside vehicles.
For RV customers, the company will add 83 hookups to 17 locations, surpassing the 100-location mark. Love’s will also expand its network of EV charging stations through National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) grants. In 2024, the company was awarded $83 million for the construction of chargers in 13 states. This year, construction is expected to start on fast chargers at Love’s locations in eight states, including Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
