Love's Travel Stops

Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores is one of the nation's leading travel stop networks, with 656 Love's locations in 42 states. 

Shane Wharton, president of the Oklahoma City-based company, announced big growth plans for 2025--from new store builds to more electric-vehicle chargers and a growing Fresh Kitchen program. The travel stop chain plans to start construction on 20 new stores in 2025 and begin updating 50 existing locations under its strategic remodel initiative, which launched in 2022. The company has a capital budget of about $1 billion for these new stores and remodels, including other projects.

Regarding foodservice, Love's is expanding its Fresh Kitchen program through a new Culinary Innovation Center led by Greg Ekman. Ekman was previously with Chicago-based bp before joining Love's as its first director of fresh kitchen strategy and growth. The center, located in Oklahoma City, will be used to develop and test food such as tacos, salads, sandwiches, snack trays and more.

Then, in terms of electric vehicles (EVs), the chain plans to add 80 chargers to 20 Love's locations in 2025. The chain currently has 31 EV charging stations.

Founded in 1964, the company remains family-owned and -operated and employs more than 40,000 people. In 2023, Love's opened 33 locations, including the company's first store in Connecticut in July and its milestone 600th location in October in its home state of Oklahoma. The company also opened 40 restaurants and added new fresh food items like breakfast bowls and a new fruit and veggie tray, as well as salad and sandwich options. The company also acquired the EZ GO chain from Carey Johnson Oil Co., Lawton, Oklahoma, in April 2023.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.