Now more than ever convenience store executives recognize that both survival and prosperity depend on their ability to adapt to changing customer preferences and the evolving business environment. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the changing role of convenience stores as a foodservice provider for budget-conscious, time-sensitive consumers that have scaled back on restaurant…
Love’s Opens Five Chester’s
Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is opening five new Chester’s locations at its stores. The fried chicken foodservice offering is set to appear at Love’s locations in Corning, Calif., Tacoma, Wash., Des Moines (Clive), Iowa, Oak Creek, Wis., and Gary, Ind. Following the merger of Flying J Inc. and Pilot Travel Centers LLC, the…
Flying J Loses Beer License
A Flying J truck stop in Sioux Falls, S.D., has lost its alcohol license after it was caught selling alcohol to minors four times in the last five years, Keloland TV reported. The Sioux Falls City Council decided Monday night not to renew the store’s beer license. “I know of many other businesses down here…
Flying J To Emerge From Bankruptcy
A U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware has confirmed Flying J’s plan to reorganize and emerge from bankruptcy, repaying its creditors in cash plus interest, Truckinginfo.com reported. Flying J filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection back in December 2008, and since that time has been working to restructure. It officially merged retail operations with Pilot Travel…
Pilot Flying J Gets Down To Business
Just two days after Pilot won Federal Trade Commission approval to acquire rival Flying Jay on Wednesday, the company, now called Pilot Flying J, isn’t wasting anytime getting busy with acquisitions, divestments and restaurant plans. As of today, Pilot Flying J-an entity of more than 550 interstate travel centers and travel plazas in 43 states…
Pilot And Flying J Complete Merger
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) yesterday gave final approval to Flying J to merge its travel plaza business with Pilot Travel Centers, Truckinginfo.com reported. The merger, effective July 1, is expected to help Flying J emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and create an entity of more than 550 interstate travel centers and travel plazas…
Loves To Acquire 30 Flying J / Pilot Locations
Pilot Travel Centers and Flying J are planning to divest about 30 locations (10-15 of which are Pilot locations) to Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores, for an estimated $3 million to $5 million per location, The Trucker reported. The move is an attempt by Pilot and Flying J to alleviate concerns the Federal Trade…
Pilot Measures Labor Hours
Pilot Travel Centers LLC is using RedPrairie Corp.’s Workforce Management solution to match actual labor hours to budgeted labor hours at its more than 310 Travel Centers nationwide. “We originally selected RedPrairie’s solution based on their dedication to our business, and the long-term value we felt their software would provide,” said Rick Ellison, operations director of Pilot…
iPhone App Locates Pilot Travel Centers
Professional drivers and motorists can now locate the nearest Pilot Travel Center anywhere in North America with a new free iPhone application introduced this month. “We appreciate the fact that many loyal Pilot customers only look for Pilot Travel Centers when they are on the road, and this online tool makes it very easy to…
Capitalizing on Coffee
Opportunity for Growth 54% of the overall adult population drank coffee beverages daily in 2009. Coffee preparation at home is up five percentage points, with 83% of past-day coffee drinkers reporting that they made coffee at home the day before. 80% of coffee drinkers are doing nothing different despite the economic downturn. 17% are visiting…