The Truck Stops Here
Jan 7, 2020
#1 Experiential Elements in Spades at Oasis Travel Center in Robertsdale, Alabama
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One thing we are continuing to stress with NATSO members is that retail locations, truckstops included, need to be experiential. Oasis Travel Center, located in Robertsdale, Alabama, has experiential items in spades. In this episode of The Truck Stops Here, we have the distinct pleasure of interviewing Dale Elks, General Manager about their unique truckstop.
Hosted by:
Amy Toner, Vice President, Publishing and Digital Content, NATSO and Darren Schulte, Vice President, Membership, NATSO
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3 hours ago
#90 Sprint Mart’s New Travel Center Is Extra Special
Sprint Mart opened a new 16,000-square-foot travel center in Vance, Alabama this year. Herb Hargraves, Sprint Mart's chief operating officer, joined the podcast to share the great things happening at the new Sprint Mart. It boasts a 150-seat diner, a huge bakery, its proprietary grab-and-go fried chicken and catfish program Chix and 15 cooler doors. Its forecourt includes 12 gasoline pumps and five diesel lanes.
"The enormous footprint of the store is what really makes it stand out. We used an arch concept in the front of the stores that makes it look like you're walking into a megalithic building and the excessively high ceilings that we have in there. And the major cooler presence stands out, too. We have fifteen cooler doors... for non-alcoholic beverages. Fifteen cooler doors are the most amount of cooler doors I've ever seen at a convenience store for non-alcoholic items. It made it so that we could really be diverse in what we're offering the consumer," said Hargraves.
Listen and learn more about how this new industry stands out.
With special guest:
Herb Hargraves, Chief Operating Officer for Sprint Mart
Hosted by:
Amy Toner, Executive Director, NATSO Foundation
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Nov 7, 2023
#89 Get the Scoop on NATSO Connect 2024
NATSO Connect 2024 is scheduled to be held at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts in Orlando, Florida. NATSO Connect takes place from February 18 to 22, bringing together industry professionals, experts, and innovators for an unparalleled networking and learning experience.
Pamela Hayes, vice president, business development at NATSO, and Andrew Evans, vice president, marketing and branding at NATSO, hopped on the podcast to share all the important details about this year's event.
The education selected by the NATSO Foundation this year provides information and analysis that truck stops and travel centers need to grow wallet share and meet customer fuel demands.
“A rapidly evolving fueling landscape coupled with technological advancements and changing customer habits is presenting fuel retailers with an opportunity to reimagine their operations,” said Amy Toner, executive director of the NATSO Foundation and The Truck Stops Here podcast host. “The engaging and thought-provoking sessions planned for NATSO Connect 2024 will position travel centers for the future.”
Educational highlights scheduled for this year’s event include:
* Travel Center New Builds and Remodels Pre-Event Workshop
* The Great Ideas! Workshop for Independent Operators
* Sessions dedicated to growing wallet share
* Insights into building the travel center of the future
* A technology forum focused on technology at the fuel island
* Travel center speed networking
* In-depth updates on key regulatory and legislative issues
* An immersive retail tour of two best-in-class travel center locations
Visit www.natsoconnect.com for more on the event.
With special guests:
Pamela Hayes, vice president, business development, NATSO and Andrew Evans, vice president, marketing and branding, NATSO
Hosted by:
Amy Toner, Executive Director, NATSO Foundation
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Oct 24, 2023
#88 Grow Wallet Share With the Right Food Offerings at Your Travel Center
Food offerings are a key differentiator, setting truck stops and travel centers apart from the competition and enticing drivers inside. More importantly, sales in food or snacks are significant profit drivers. A new study from NATSO Services found untapped potential for growing food and beverage sales from drivers who are already stopping.
Most drivers taking the survey—81%—said they’d gone inside a travel center but left without purchasing food or beverages in the past month. Gaining even incremental sales from this group could result in significant gains.
Jessica Williams, founder and CEO of Food Forward Thinking, joins the podcast to walk listeners through menu planning for travel centers.
She offers advice on:
What is usually missing at a travel center that drivers seek?
What should travel centers think about when planning their food offerings?
What food trends are “trending” right now?
With special guest:
Jessica Williams, Founder and CEO of Food Forward Thinking
Hosted by:
Amy Toner, Executive Director, NATSO Foundation
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