Dive Brief:
- Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is set to add Naf Naf Middle Eastern Grill to three more of its sites this year, according to a Tuesday announcement.
- Those locations will be in Greenville, Virginia; Barstow, California; and an undisclosed city in Tennessee that will be revealed at a later date, according to the announcement. Once they’re all open, Love’s will have six locations in its network with a Naf Naf QSR.
- This comes about four years after Love’s opened its first travel center with a Naf Naf. At the time, the convenience retailer said it planned to open an additional 10 Naf Naf-adjacent locations by late 2025.
Dive Insight:
Although Love’s has ground to make up to reach its original goal of 11 Naf Naf locations by late next year, the convenience retailer is making progress. The Greenville location is expected to open in the second quarter, while the QSRs in Barstow and Tennessee plan to debut in the fourth quarter, according to the announcement.
When the three new locations open, Love’s will have Naf Naf-adjacent travel centers across Illinois — where it already has two — Indiana, California, Virginia and Tennessee. The QSRs in Greenville and Barstow will also mark Naf Naf’s first restaurants in Virginia and California, according to the announcement.
Love’s and Naf Naf decided to expand their partnership after receiving “enthusiastic feedback” from customers, who requested more locations, according to the announcement. Founded in 2009, the restaurant chain features dishes like stuffed pita sandwiches, falafel and baklava.
"Broadening our collaboration with Naf Naf amplifies the positive momentum we've experienced since joining forces,” Nick Bouse, director of foodservice for Love's, said in the announcement. “Their team consistently provides exceptional support across various areas, from design to operations … We believe these new locations will elevate customer experience and uphold our commitment to exceptional on-the-go dining."
Love’s ongoing partnership with Naf Naf augments the retail chain’s broader growth plans, which include opening up to 25 new travel centers and remodeling up to 40 locations this year.
In February, Love’s President Shane Warton said in an interview with C-Store Dive that creating more space dedicated to foodservice is a focal point of the company’s remodel initiatives.
Oklahoma City-based Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores owns more than 640 locations in 42 states, as well as 430 truck repair locations, and has more than 39,000 employees.
