“Home of the Great American Road Trip,” Wally’s — open 24 hours — offers an interactive guest experience at its two locations in Pontiac, Ill., and Fenton, Mo., from its food stations and barista program to its mobile app.
And, Wally’s has big plans for expansion in its region and beyond.
“We’re turning the traditional roadside travel stop on its head and making it a really fun, unique experience,” said Andy Strom, chief experience officer of Wally’s. “I like to say unexpected delight at every turn, you know, just paying attention to the details and really making every guest visit super special.”
Wally’s caters to its customers through its experience-based food stations — such as daily popcorn offerings and a barbecue sandwich house — accessible restrooms, highly curated retail products and 70-plus fuel pumps at each location. And, it’s taking a tech-forward approach as it builds the brand, from self-checkout to an online store. For all this and more, CStore Decisions recognizes Wally’s as a 2022 Chain to Watch.
A New Vision for the Market
Wally’s opened its first store in Pontiac, roughly 100 miles from Chicago and 200 miles from St. Louis on Interstate 55 in October 2020. In March 2022, its Fenton location on Interstate 44, southwest of St. Louis, opened its doors.
Chairman and Co-Founder Chad Wallis, who has been in the industry for 20 years, and CEO Michael Rubenstein of Wally’s, who has a real estate development background, along with the Wally’s team, established a vision for Wally’s focusing on the family and recreational traveler.
“I’d say the entrepreneurship of this was the idea we have, and we believed in it. We created a plan and a vision and found the right spot of how to get the business off the ground. And we had people that believed and supported us and what we were doing,” said Rubenstein.
The name Wally’s comes from the idea of having a 70s and 80s atmosphere at the store. The concept of being connected to the guests and full-service hospitality was appealing. “We want (guests) to feel appreciated and welcome to come in the store. And we think the name really embodies that,” said Rubenstein.
Wally’s embraces authenticity and aspires to offer a different experience for the consumer that doesn’t exist in the market. “I like to say old-fashioned hospitality meets today’s technology and experience capabilities,” Strom said.
A Foodservice Destination
Wally’s has three interactive food stations: the Wally’s sandwich house, Wally’s café and its popcorn station. One of the chain’s biggest successes is its two large popcorn poppers, according to Rubenstein. Four different flavors are offered daily, three of them being caramel, butter and cheddar. The fourth flavor is a specialty flavor, which in the past has included hot and spicy, pizza, Oreo and s’mores. One of the most popular flavor pairings so far has been a mixture of cheddar and caramel.
“Even our popcorn bags, we made ourselves. It’s really a nod back to the big, long carnival bags of popcorn that you get,” said Strom.
“From the food side, that’s really been just a great road trip snack. And it’s something that our guests have really been responding to and has been selling really, really great,” Rubenstein added.
In addition to the Wally’s popcorn station, the chain’s interactive guest experience extends to its barbecue sandwich house. Its brisket sandwiches feature Wagyu beef, a high-end quality cut of meat, with homemade potato chips also available. Wally’s controls the brand from start to finish, as well as the product and consistency.
The c-store sources “the finest ingredients to take that guest experience to the next level,” said Strom. “We’re just not skimping. It’s really about going the extra level. Even if it may, at the end of the day, affect margins a bit, our guest experience is our No. 1 priority,” he continued.
Guests can choose from several beverage options, as well. Wally’s offers specialty coffee and sparkling teas, as well as drip coffee. The drip coffee, sourced from a local St. Louis roastery, is located on a large grab-and-go counter. At the Wally’s café, a barista uses bean-to-cup dispensers to prepare made-to-order coffee drinks. Kombucha on tap is also available, as well as nitro cold brew and freshly squeezed orange juice.
The beverage selection also includes 60 flavors at the soda fountain with old-school labels. “We design them ourselves as nods to what you would have seen back in the day. So it’s those little teeny details that really bring it home,” said Strom.
Behind the food-experience stations, Wally’s houses a canteen with a beef jerky bar and other hot food items, as well as a bakery. In the Fenton location, pizza is made on-site.
At the beef jerky bar, guests can select pieces and different flavors that they purchase in bulk by the pound. Their selection is then wrapped in butcher paper for them to take on the go. Wally’s also has its own signature bag of jerky, which can be found around the store.
The bakery offers goods such as cupcakes, doughnuts and cookies, but guests can also choose to find their dessert at the chain’s ice cream parlor, complete with freshly made waffle cones and shakes.
Wally’s offers prepared grab-and-go foods, similar to those found in a grocery store. Customers can find gondolas of grab-and-go options, including dinner meals to go.
“There’s just a lot of people on the road; there’s a lot of local commuters and other people who are in the store on a daily basis, so we have a pretty large variety,” Rubenstein said.
A Retro Design
Wally’s encompasses its “Home of the Great American Road Trip” tagline in everything from its store design to retail offerings, starting with displaying the line on its entry sign in bright colors. The design is meant to capture the feel of an 80s family road trip, with the building itself having mid-century vibes.
Both Wally’s stores are new builds, and the middle of the store rises to a 42-foot vaulted ceiling with a lot of glass, creating a very open area, with the Pontiac layout measuring at 30,000 square feet and Fenton at 36,000 square feet.
“It has more of a grocery store type of feel,” said Rubenstein. The wide walking lanes and expansive vault allow for a welcoming, open atmosphere.
The retail side of both sites features 10,000 square feet of dedicated floor space. Within, a full-sized Winnebago has been chopped up with both sides of it merchandised. The area embraces a camping-heavy theme. A Wally’s-branded area features swag items such as hats, t-shirts, cups and more. Wally’s also offers children’s, women’s, men’s, pet and home sections.
“It’s a very eclectic mix of items. I think the biggest differentiator is it’s very highly curated,” said Rubenstein.
Guests can purchase a variety of value items such as road trip games, including a road trip bingo game developed by Strom. Best-selling items include sticker packs the Wally’s team developed and koozies with around 30 designs that have fun sayings.
On the opposite end of the price spectrum, customers can find high-end smokers and coolers.
“There’s really something for everyone, and as part of our brand development, we’ve created a really large selection of our own merchandise that is resonating very well with our guests,” said Strom.
Moving Technology Forward
One aspect of Wally’s that differentiates the store from others is its oversized, clean family-friendly restrooms.
“We know how important it is to really have that clean roadside stop when you’re traveling down the highway,” Strom said. The stalls are nearly the height of a standard door, allowing the occupants more privacy. Inside the women’s restroom is a family room with a miniature toilet for children and a changing station.
The restrooms also have full-time restroom attendants, a decision that was tantamount to the Wally’s mission of presenting an easy, open and clean guest experience. The restrooms feature touchless sinks, soap dispensers and hand dryers.
The c-store uses self-checkout at both sites. “All of it is the best-in-class touchless experience from self-checkout to really every aspect of the store,” said Rubenstein.
In the future, Wally’s is considering adding tech features such as pay at the pump, a loyalty program, order ahead and delivery. The chain is currently developing an online store, which will allow guests to interact with the Wally’s brand. Wally’s is also updating its app, further developing certain elements within it.
In terms of tech, Wally’s “definitely (has) some things happening right now that are going to be different than you see out there as the normal offering; things like bringing entertainment, value and games into what we’re developing,” said Strom.
The Pontiac location, which sits on 12 acres, has 76 fuel pumps in the forecourt, whereas the Fenton location, sitting on eight acres, has 72. The gas is sold under the Wally’s name.
In addition to its fuel pumps, Wally’s offers its guests access to four electric vehicle (EV) chargers at the Pontiac site and five EV chargers at the Fenton location.
“In both of our locations, we’ve invested very heavily on the electrical infrastructure,” said Rubenstein. He believes in growth for the EV charging network at Wally’s by at least three- to four-times the amount as the need arises.
The Wally’s team looks forward to growing around the country. “We expect to hopefully have some additional plans announced by the end of the summer,” said Rubenstein.
“We’re really just trying to change what’s offered out there at the moment. I think by us just enjoying developing this experience for our guests (…) that naturally kind of shines through,” Strom said.