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Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores (commonly referred to as 'Love’s') is a chain of more than 200 travel stops and convenience stores located in more than 30 states. [edit] HistoryThe Love’s story began in 1964, when Tom and Judy Love spent $5,000 to lease an abandoned service station in Watonga, Oklahoma, an hour northwest of Oklahoma City. They named their company Musket Corporation. Over the next 8 years Musket opened 40 additional gas stations. All of them operated under the Kerr-McGee gasoline brand. When the fuel crunch of the early 1970’s began and gasoline was in short supply in the United States, Tom Love recognized the need to diversify for the sake of the company’s success. So the company launched a new concept in Watonga: the “Mini Stop Country Store.” By adding a grocery line to their self-service fuel sales, Musket became one of the nation’s first to offer one-stop shopping for travelers. The Mini Stop was a huge success, and the company quickly opened more stores in western Oklahoma. In 1972, Musket set out to convert all of its locations from gas stations to convenience stores with self-serve gasoline. By 1973, the company began using the family name to identify its locations. Love’s Country Stores was the new name, and the beginning of what became a prominently recognized regional brand. By 1978, Love’s Country Stores had 60 locations in small communities throughout Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. That year, the company made another significant move to differentiate itself from the competition. It began offering the Fresh Daily Deli – sandwiches made fresh daily on-location. The Fresh Daily Deli--today branded as Love’s Subs--required much more labor, and therefore created many new jobs in the communities, most ranging from 3,000 to 75,000 in population. Food Service became the company’s third profit-center in each location, along with self-serve gasoline and convenience store items. By the end of 1981, the company reached a milestone with 100 Love’s Country Stores locations in operation. The in-store decor was changed from the previous dark country look to a brighter, fresher, eye-catching theme. 1981 saw another milestone for the company when it opened the first Love’s Travel Stop on Interstate 40 in Amarillo, Texas. The travel stop opened a fourth profit-center and a new target audience to Love's business. The addition of self-serve diesel fuel brought professional drivers to Love’s. The Travel Stop was unique in that it served both the professional driver and the motoring public. This quickly became a growth vehicle for Love’s. In 1985, Love’s added its fifth profit-center--a full-range of gifts and novelties. Then in 1993, Taco Bell, the Number 1 quick-serve restaurant chain in the United States, became a partner, opening a co-branded location in Oklahoma City. The success of this partnership quickly grew. Love’s customers adored the idea of a nationally recognized restaurant combining with a high-quality and well-trusted company like Love’s. In 1995, the company opened its first triple-branded food service operation in El Paso, Texas. The location offered Subway sandwiches, Taco Bell Express and Pizza Hut pizza. Additional food service required additional square footage, and additional labor. For the first time, the cost of building and staffing a Love’s Travel Stop exceeded $3 million. The company was changing to meet the needs of consumers, and rising above the competition. In the late 1990s, food service at Love’s Travel Stops continued to grow. Soon the company was partnering with an impressive array of co-branded restaurant concepts, including Arby’s, Godfather’s Pizza, Hardee's, Carl's Jr., Chester’s Chicken, and Baskin Robbins. In 2000, Sales & Marketing Executives International awarded Love’s the 2000 Outlook Award, for innovation and outstanding contribution to the future of the convenience store industry. Today Love’s operates more than 200 stores in more than 30 states. The current growth rate is about 15 – 20 store openings each year. In 2008, Forbes Magazine ranked Love’s at No. 25 on its list of America’s largest private companies. Love’s debuted on the list at No. 446 in 2000. Love's main competitors include Flying J / Pilot Travel Centers, TravelCenters of America, and T/A owned Petro Stopping Centers. [edit] Key Dates1964: Tom and Judy Love launch the Musket chain with a gas station in Watonga, Oklahoma. [edit] References
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