Michael Rubenstein and cousin/business partner Chad Wallis founded Wally’s as the “home of the great American road trip” in 2020 as relief from the boredom of a long drive.

The 30,000-square-foot store includes “experience stations” dedicated to freshly prepared barbecue sandwiches, popcorn and coffee, an extensive jerky bar and an 8,000-square-foot retail section stocked with Wally’s-branded shirts, hats, collectibles and more.

Outside the first location in Pontiac, Ill., are 76 fueling positions, including diesel at every dispenser.

The retailer opened its second location in Fenton, Mo., bringing the cousins back to their home state, with an even larger, 36,000-square-foot store with similar aspirations: “To focus on the family traveler and create a brand that spoke to our Midwestern roots,” Rubenstein says.

“That’s really the whole vibe of the store, the retro feel,” he says. “You can see a lot of inspiration from a ’70s or ’80s family road trip, and from there, we wanted to make sure that the retro feel was tied in with all of the modern amenities—spacious, contactless, the ability for our guests to be able to move around the store without a lot of restrictions.”