Pontiac, Ill.-based Wally’s has announced that it will open its latest, largest location in a new state — Indiana. The chain will officially unveil the new site, located in Whitestown, Ind., on June 30, according to a report from local outlet IndyStar.
The new site will stand at 53,000 square feet and will offer a wide range of foodservice and beverage offerings, merchandise, fuel and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Notably, this will be the third location in Wally’s footprint, coming in at about a third larger than its existing two.
Known as the “Home of the Great American Road Trip,” Wally’s embodies this designation through intentional, unique branding with a Route 66 theme, nods to classic American road trip movies in-stores and retro decor.
The Whitestown store, according to IndyStar, will feature more than 84 fuel pumps and 20 EV chargers.
But Wally’s isn’t stopping at Indiana — in April, the chain broke ground on its first Missouri location in Independence. The travel stop is reportedly planned to be slightly larger than its Indiana site at 54,000 square feet and will have 84 fuel pumps, EV charging stations and a full c-store.
The project was first announced and approved by the Independence City Council in October 2025, with the groundbreaking marking a significant step forward in the development of Wally’s second Missouri store.
According to the city’s original plans for the location, the site will feature almost 300 parking spaces and more than 12 EV chargers.
As of today, Wally’s operates two locations in Pontiac, Ill., and Fenton, Mo.
The news of Wally’s expansion comes as another familiar favorite makes its name known across the U.S. — Lake Jackson, Texas-based Buc-ee’s.
Buc-ee’s and Wally’s share a similar strategy of offering travelers not just the essentials that they would typically find in a traditional c-store, but more than they could ever imagine.
While Wally’s new site is planned for 53,000-square-feet — a massive feat in its own right — Buc-ee’s has upped the ante in recent years with new store openings reaching up to 74,000-square feet.
Over the past seven years, Buc-ee’s has opened locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, Colorado, Mississippi and Virginia.
Since 2024 alone, Buc-ee’s has broken ground on its first locations in Arkansas, Arizona, Kansas and North Carolina.
Buc-ee’s also opened its first Ohio travel stop in April, located in Huber Heights. The site — first announced in August 2023 — stands at 74,000 square feet on 35 acres of land.
The Huber Heights location did more than $1 million in sales during its first day in Ohio, marking the retailer’s largest opening day ever.
Huber Heights Mayor Jeff Gore told WDTN that he’s “heard reports back from Buc-ee’s that this location was their single biggest grand opening they’ve had at any store location, anywhere in the country.”
Buc-ee’s plans to open a second Ohio site in Mansfield, however the project is “still in the final stages of the due diligence process with (the city),” said Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry.
