The summer road trip was not official until you stopped at a Stuckey’s. The iconic roadside convenience store is making a comeback across rural America.
It is considered by many to be a part of their childhood road trip memories. A stop at a Stuckey’s meant you would get a cold drink and hopefully a pecan log roll.
“My grandfather started with his roadside stand and it was very hot in the summer. He got tired of waiting for cars to pull over, and he got this brainstorm one day that he would sell candy,” according to Stephanie Stuckey.
“Here at the stores we hear it day to day of people coming in, either their mother and father brought them in or their grandparents brought them in on their travels from Florida, or anywhere up and down the U.S., and it is great to see something that my great grandfather started and still be a part of many people lives,” William Putnam states.
William’s mother was a Stuckey and he opened up the new store in Perry, Georgia. About 45 minutes from the very first one opened by his great grandfather.
“Traditionally, my great grandfather, he built these beautiful stores that had beautiful wood on the inside. It was actually designed from a ship flipped upside down as the hull of the ship,” he states.
Before taking over the reins of this store in Perry, he spent years as a horse trainer, but when the opportunity presented itself, he jumped at the chance to be a part of the family business, which is a part of the fabric of Americana.
“A lot of our customers are coming for that nostalgia, you know that’s what Stuckey’s is. We are almost a 100 year old company,” William adds.
He says that these roadside respites are still based on the family experience.
And of course, shelves of pecan log rolls and divinity. There’s also an added outdoor feature at this location. A dog park. Giving weary travelers a place to rest, refuel, and rejuvenate their legs, be it two or four.
Stephanie is now CEO and says that it is her goal to bring the magic back to the family road trip: “There is something really special about the road trip experience that Stuckey’s really exemplified, and I not only wanted to bring the company back but bring that roadtrip experience back.”