Large travel stop set to open next month
About a month from now, an empty stretch of Bayshore Road near I-75 is going to get a whole lotta love.
Love’s Travel Stops, a huge gas station, convenience store, fast food joint and truck stop, is set to open Aug. 14, and is expected to fill a huge void in an area where you would expect such a business. Right off the highway off exit 143, just east of a now-closed Raceway.
The gas pumps are in and the floor is laid out for the $7.5 million, 11,000- square-foot facility. It will now take a few touch-ups before the franchisee takes over at the end of the month, with the grand opening soon after that.
“The stores are very clean and modern. If you’re there at night, it’s well lit,” said Kealey Dorian, a spokesperson with Love’s corporate office in Oklahoma City.
Love’s is ready to make an immediate impact on the area, according to Chris Jackson, executive director of the North Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce.
“It has joined the chamber as of a couple weeks ago, so it’s important for them to be involved in the community, which we’re delighted about,” Jackson said.
More so, Jackson believes the location is a testament to how much the area has grown in recent years.
“Their investment into that interchange is symbolic of how things are growing. It’s been a black hole out there, so it’s significant that Love’s is investing millions of dollars there,” Jackson said.
Jackson is confident that the success of Love’s could result in further development of that intersection with business you’d expect to see at interstate intersections.
“Hopefully, we’ll see some hotels, restaurants and more gas stations. I think it’s a good sign of what the future holds,” Jackson said.
Among the amenities Love’s will offer is a Wendy’s and Subway restaurant, convenience store and 16 fueling stations for gasoline and eight for diesel. It also will feature a place to get the tires of an 18-wheeler fixed and checked and to take a shower.
“There is a wide variety of things. We have snacks, gourmet coffee, a large drink selection, gift items, a mix of fun things,” Dorian said. “We will also have 96 parking spaces for professional drivers and five showers. It’s a large operation.”
Its location for those travelling southbound is also a factor, since it will be the first gas station they have seen for 18 miles, in Punta Gorda. Those going north and in need of gas had better fuel up.
“That’s one of the reasons we chose to expand here. It’s low on drivers’ services and travelers and tourism is rich in the area. We felt we needed to provide those services you need and deserve,” Dorian said.
Love’s was founded in 1964 in Oklahoma and today has more than 300 locations that employ more than 10,000 people in 39 states.