Love’s Travel Stop celebrates remodeling  with Grand Reopening and Ribbon Cutting

By Marianne Mueller

Loves Travel Stop’s  Roscoe location  on Quality Drive, celebrated a Grand Reopening on Thursday, June 4. 

This store is open 24 hours a day, and is known as number 332, which offers a friendly andune clean environment. 

Stateline Chamber of Commerce President Ryan Rydell welcomed everyone to the celebration. He said,
“It is pretty cool that I am out here right now because  I am about to go to a Cubs game later today. 

When I pass through to leave town or to go to Chicago I  always stop to get gas here.

When my fiance and I go to Chicago we come here first and we need a snack so we stop here. 

When we got word that you were ready to do your grand reopening that was the best news. We are happy to be out here on your new property.”

Loves District  Manager of #2313, Robert Macnider  said, “I want to appreciate this team a little bit. We have been doing business together for a long time. 

I want to thank you for what you went through, you stayed operational the whole time. Congratulations on your new property. 

We don’t just work here, we live here. We are planning to take part in National Night Out again.”

Love's Travel Stop Manager, Cindy Wade said, “I want to thank all of you for the hard times when we had to work out of the trailer while going through this remodel. You really stuck it out in the cold winter months having to use the trailer restrooms and trying to keep positive when it got rough, with anything that went on in the trailer.

It seems like so long ago that we were in that trailer. Now we came back to the store, and we went from nothing to a full store. I appreciate your dedication to coming to work every day, getting up and ready to go again.”

Following these comments Wade was surrounded by supportive employees, friends and family as she cut the ribbon, marking the official  Grand Reopening. 

The full remodeling of the building cost $4.5 million which included remodeling the entire inside, the showers, redoing  the lobby, cleaned up the pumps and repainted the outside of the building. 

Love's Travel Stop first opened in the Roscoe location in 2004. It is a place where anyone can fill up their gas or diesel in their tank, or pick up hot or cold foods, snacks, or beverages.  They also carry a nice selection of IL. Souvenirs, floor mats, kitchen items, children's toys or activities and stuffed animals. 

One of the main selling draws for truckers is diesel for  their trucks. 

Restrooms and seven showers are also available for those who need them. 

Hardees is also owned and operated by Loves. 

Loves are very strong supporters of the community and charity organizations.

Imani Menefee, M.A.- Development Officer at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. Menefee traveled from Chicago to come to  the grand reopening where she was  presented with a generous check from community donations that were collected. 

Menefee said, “Loves is part of the Children’s Miracle Network and when they ask customers to round up that money is donated to the children’s hospital. They donated $5,000 this year.”

Wade adds, “We like to support local charities too. If anyone is having an event they just need to call me up to put in a request for a case of water or other items.”

The Roscoe location has 48 employees for the store, the restaurant and Loves Tire Shop, where they  do semi tires and mechanical work. 

Wade has been the General Manager since 2024, prior to that she managed the restaurant manager in 2023. 

We get convoy’s when  the military is traveling when they stop here. 

When high schoolers are traveling for sports the buses stop to fill up, and all are able to get a snack or to use the restroom. 

“People who are always traveling  and don’t get to go home daily,  this is their home away from home, they can shower here,  “Wade said. 

“We have an average of 100 showers per day.”

The biggest seller is grocery and cooler items. In the winter there are more winter additives for the trucks. 

Here when we hear the ding you will hear, “Welcome to Loves and when you are leaving, it is “Safe Travels, that is the expectation.”

Wade adds, “I love the renovations and how wonderful the store looks now and keeping it that way now.”