C-stores situated along interstate highways long have had the chance to cherry-pick travelers. Retailers with highway stores, though, also know that local road projects can be an impediment that puts a drag on business.
The owners of Tobies Station and its adjoining standalone Tobies Restaurant & Bakery are positioned on the east side of Interstate 35 in Hinckley, Minnesota, about 80 miles north of Minneapolis. A protracted bridge repair project in Hinckley wrapped up at the end of 2025—and Tobies’ owners are watching business rebound from the downturn.
The two Tobies—billed “Minnesota’s Famous Half Way Stop” as the stores are halfway between the Twin Cities and the state’s North Shore tourist destination—are hitting on all cylinders again.
“We were happy the project wrapped up because we rely a great deal on travelers to drive business,” said co-owner Pam Zebrok, who owns the two stores with brother Chris Hickle and mother, Sue.
The community is home to Grand Casino Hinckley, located about two miles from Tobies, with a host of out-of-towners making Hinckley their final destination, making Tobies more of a prime stop.
Consistency is key
One thing’s for sure: Road construction or not, travelers and locals who frequent the two Tobies receive the same unyielding consistency they’ve experienced since 1948.
Facing local competition that includes Kwik Trip, Dairy Queen and Subway, Tobies Station is an extension of the restaurant.
And Tobies has a lot to offer to make it a one-two punch. The operator is renowned for homemade sandwiches from bread made fresh daily. Fresh baked pies, homemade soups, choice lean meats, seafoods, delicate sauces and gravies, savory seasonings and condiments also populate the menus.
Not to be outdone, the restaurant continues to draw those with a sweet tooth with its iconic caramel, cinnamon and pecan rolls made from an original dough recipe, swirled with cinnamon sugar and finished with caramel. Tobies cake doughnuts are made from scratch with a buttermilk formula: their flavor, weight and density set them apart from mass-produced fare. Their long Johns are light and airy.
“We take pride in the culinary art. Our widespread reputation and never-ending list of friends confirm the fact that there is no substitution for good food,” said Hickle.
Available at both restaurant and c-store location is the Tobie Burger, dipped in hot sauce and smothered with house-made bleu cheese dressing on a grilled sesame bun.
Zabrok said there’s less urgency to rotate Tobies Restaurant menus because their core traveling customer base comes with different expectations than locals, who might frequent the restaurant seeking more seasonality in the menu diversity.
‘Traveler’s tradition’
Hickle, a former airline pilot who retired years ago, spends hours in the restaurant while also serving as the primary overseer of the c-store operation.
Dubbed a “Traveler’s Tradition Since 1948,” Tobies upped its game when it recently invested in a remodeling project. In 2025, the Minnoco-branded retailer invested in new multi-pump dispensers that can be a gamechanger to provide a quick-fueling experience with travelers on the go.
Minnoco, known as Minnesota Independent Oil Co., was developed for members of the Minnesota Service Station & Convenience Store Association (MSSA). Available at Tobies Station are a host of renewable fuels grown and refined in Iowa and Minnesota: bio-diesel, E85, E30, E15, 87, 89 and 91 octane.
Tobies Station offers a touchless car wash with two bays featuring PDQ LaserWash 360 Plus Car Wash System, which resets itself automatically via sensors that detect specific vehicle design differences, Hickle said.
Just as the restaurant and store can leverage their competitive advantages in the form of food and bakery goods, Tobies Store has garnered its own reputation for merchandising bulk beef jerky featured in 1- or 10-pound bags. The store offers a 7-foot-high and 12-foot-wide slatwall that, when unveiled a few years ago, helped increase product footprint by 100%, from 10 to 20 feet.
“We have had continued success with Jack Link’s meat and cheese refrigerated combos and cold-pressed sandwiches,” said Hickle. Because a majority of its customer base are people bound for destinations, jerky fills their desire for protein on the go, Hickle added.
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