Love’s Travel Stop Expected to Bring New Revenue to Illinois Village
In about seven weeks, work should be wrapped up on a new Love’s Travel Stop and IHOP Express restaurant in South Jacksonville, Illinois, bringing a new revenue source to the village.
“I think that our progression on this project is moving exceedingly well due to good weather and strong relationships built with local vendor partners,” said Bill Campbell of Ashtabula, Ohio. He is project superintendent and an employee of general contractor Buffalo Construction of Louisville, Kentucky.
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He said six Jacksonville-area contractors have worked on the estimated $6 million project.
Construction began June 20, and Campbell said the goal is to complete all the work on the 7.5-acre site on the south side of the village in early December.
When finished, Love’s Travel Stop will include six diesel pumps under a canopy on the west side of the building, gasoline pumps on the east side, a set of certified truck scales and 69 parking places.
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The Love’s convenience store will carry such things as soft drinks, snacks and clothing. The building also will have five showers and a laundry room.
“The vast majority of the merchandise will be geared toward the trucking industry,” Campbell said. “And the showers and laundry will provide comfort for the longhaul truckers.”
Campbell said that the Love’s portion of the building also will feature a 300-square-foot gaming room.
Adjoining Love’s Travel Stop will be an IHOP Express restaurant that will seat about 60 customers.
“At an IHOP Express, customers order at a counter and someone brings the food to you,” Campbell said.
The opening of both Love’s and the IHOP is scheduled for mid-December.
“I’ve been impressed with the high level of commitment by the community of South Jacksonville and the commitment of the Love’s family to South Jacksonville in bringing revenue to the area,” Campbell said.
Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores, founded in 1964 and based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has more than 390 locations in 40 states.
