From Milkshakes to Motocycles: Truckstop Operators Get Creative in Their Parking Lots - NATSO (2024)

In today’s operating environment, truckstop and travel plaza op­erators are working to appeal to a wide range of customers. Several NATSO members are changing the way they use space within their park­ing lots, turning extra space into in­novative profit centers.

Darren Schulte, vice president of membership for NATSO, said there are several ways operators can mon­etize their lots, such as adding deer feed during hunting season, selling Christmas trees during the holidays or stacking up firewood to sell.

“There are a number of things own­ers can add to draw people to the loca­tion and generate revenue from other areas of the store,” he said. “We have these big parking spaces and most of us don’t utilize them properly.”

Stop Watch sat down with a handful of operators who are getting creative with their parking lot space. Here are 10 ways NATSO members are making their parking lots more attractive to cus­tomers and boosting revenue as a result.

Coffee Kiosks
Donna’s Travel Plaza in Tulalip, Washington, has had a coffee ki­osk in its parking lot since the late 1980s and added a drive-up window to it in 1993 that four-wheel traffic and some box trucks can use. Class 8 truck drivers can use the walk-up service at the kiosk.

Brian Couch, owner of the location, said the coffee culture in Washington state is unique. “There are probably more coffee stands/kiosks/shops in the Seattle area than there are in the rest of the country combined. There may be as many as one per 500 to 1,000 peo­ple in this state,” Couch said, adding that the kiosk does enough business to justify having it open from 4:30 a.m. to around 11 p.m.

“We sell espresso and related drinks—mochas, lattes, etc.—hot, cold and blended. We also sell several bakery goods, donuts, bagels, oatmeal, etc.,” Couch said. “One of the more unlike­ly things we do is that we do a hand-dipped milkshake—coffee or flavored.”

Locksmith
Donna’s Travel Plaza also fea­tures a locksmith in a temporary trailer in the parking lot.

Motocycle Course
Lee Hi Travel Plaza in Lexington, Virginia, has painted a motorcycle training course on a portion of its se­cured parking lot. The Virginia De­partment of Motor Vehicles uses the space four to six times a year to run a motorcycle training class. “People drive over it and forget about it when it is not in use,” said Corey Berkstresser, manager of the location.

Contracted and Leased Parking Spaces
LaPlace Travel Plaza in LaPlace, Loui­siana, had a number of local drivers parking their trucks in the lot and driving their cars home. To avoid hav­ing unattended vehicles taking up space, Mike Sibley, president of the location, reached out to the drivers and let them know that he’d be happyto provide a space for them to leave their trucks as long as they purchase 1,000 gallons of fuel per month. “If they haven’t purchased 1,000 gallons of fuel a month from us, then they pay us to lease the space,” Sibley said.

Within its secure lot, Lee Hi Travel Plaza leases space to several trucking companies who use the space as a mini-hub. Lee Hi also rents the com­panies office space within the loca­tion. “There was a small office space that we weren’t using. Leasing it out is income generated,” Berkstresser said.

Sapp Bros. leases space to truck­ing companies in three locations. “For not much money, they have your parking lots and access to your amenities,” said Don Quinn, presi­dent of the company. He added that Sapp Bros. also leases inside space to a barber, a vape shop operator, den­tist and chiropractor.

Picnic Areas
The Coffee Cup location in Stihl, South Dakota, has added ca­banas with solar lights in them. “Our choice was to make more parking spaces or use some of the property for a park. You have a tradeoff of what is going to provide the most benefit,” Heinz said, adding that the park is about the space of six or seven park­ing spaces. “We could have had those spaces or a park that several thou­sands of customers a day can use. We decided we’re going to try it and see what kind of usage it gets.”

Dog Parks
Davis Travel Center in Stony Creek, Virginia, added a dog park to an empty piece of land at the location. “I can’t tell you how many customers comment on this dog park. We have added more treats to our store set for the pets, which has increased our store sales in the pet category,” said Bill Decker, manager of the location. “Our dog park has really been a big boost as word gets out from our visiting guest. Family members telling other members is a great deal for us.”

The Coffee Cup location in Stihl also features a dog run. “A huge per­centage of drivers—four wheelers and professional drivers—have pets. We want to make sure when people are coming through the area, they have a place to stop at,” Heinz said.

Car and Truck Shows
Berkstresser hosts a number of car and truck shows throughout the year, which present an opportunity to bring new customers into the location. “We have a group in Rockford County that puts on a car show to raise money. The opportunity to host it gets the res­taurant business and the store sales for people that are there showing their cars or that are there to see the cars,” Berk­stresser said.

Lee Hi works with LargeCarMag to host a truck show, with the most re­cent show featuring 200 trucks.

Berkstresser also works with car and motorcycle clubs to be a featured stop on their drives. “We had a car club that came over from Lynchburg and met atthe truckstop. I didn’t get anything for giving them a spot to park their cars, but just about everyone—40 people— ate at the restaurant,” he said. “We’ve worked with motorcycle clubs and the riders come through and check in at Lee Hi as they go through the different check points.”