This month I hit the road for CSP’s C-Store Women event in Charleston, South Carolina. The 12-hour drive down through the southeastern states was smooth and time passed rather quickly thanks to my sister-in-law joining me on the road trip.
Our first stop was the recently renovated Casey’s at 706 N. Main St., Rocky Top, Tennessee. A friendly cashier named Jennifer told me all about the store’s recent renovations, including a new kitchen. You can’t go wrong with the convenience-store chain’s pizza. The store was busy with travelers and truckers grabbing a slice.
Shortly thereafter as we headed on interstate 40, we caught a glimpse of Bucky the Beaver on a billboard. What turned out to be a quick bathroom break turned into a longer visit surrounded by countless buck-toothed grinning beavers.
Buc-ee’s in Sevierville, Tennessee, is not a quick pit stop. Sprawling 74,000 square feet, it is bigger than a football field. The place was packed with countless visitors and everyone seemed happy to be visiting. It has everything, including freshly prepared food, drinks, snacks and endless aisles of merchandise.
My favorite part of the store is where the fresh brisket is prepared. There is even the famous brisket chant from the Buc-ee’s employees. When a new brisket is laid on the barbecue counter, an employee chants, “brisket on the board,” prompting other employees to respond the same chant. The chant continues with “sauce on the board.”
I can see why this place is a destination for drivers. And when it comes to Buc-ee’s brisket or Beaver Nuggets. You'll find me singing the chant.
Next stop—Charleston, South Carolina.
CSW was truly inspiring. In a typically male-dominated space, the c-store industry is changing. Women now lead 6% of the largest chains in the convenience industry—up from 3% in 2023, according to an evaluation of CSP’s 2024 Top 202 list of the top U.S. c-store chains by store count. This progress was surely celebrated at CSW and will continue to be championed at next year’s CSW event in San Antonio, Texas.
Driving back from Charleston to Chicago involved more convenience-store visits, including a Parker’s Kitchen in North Charleston, South Carolina. The new store located at 8251 Palmetto Commerce Parkway opened in January. The store is inviting and was fully-stocked with everything imagineable when heading out on a road trip. But visitors were not just road trippers, I saw blue-collar workers, moms and business executives walking around the aisles. Parker’s Corp., Savannah, Georgia, is looking to open 100 new stores over the next 5 years.
Our next pit stop was at Spinx Market & Eatery, 659 S. Main St., Greenville, South Carolina. The new store concept located in downtown Greenville is a perfect spot for anyone looking to enjoy the c-store’s famed fried chicken, including the founder himself. While getting a tour of the new store, I was kindly introduced to Stewart Spinks (pictured above), founder of The The Spinx Co, Inc. And yes, he was there placing his fried chicken order. It’s easy to see this place becoming the go-to neighborhood nook for all of life’s necessities. I highly encourage a stop at this place. Come hungry.
On the drive home, I also saw firsthand the destruction and debris left behind by Hurricane Helene. Google maps re-routed me a few times because of ongoing road closures. And thanks to a father of two young kids at a gas station outside the hard-hit Asheville, North Carolina, area, I was able to be successfully guided to the Tennessee state line. I’ll always be grateful and remember that kindness costs nothing—especially at gas stations.
Thank you CSW for reminding me that the top of the ladder is attainable one step at a time. Or as American novelist E.L. Doctorow once penned, “you can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”
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