The Love’s Travel Stop that will inhabit 15 acres near I-74 in Knoxville is nearing completion and is slated to open by February or March of 2017.
The truck stop was announced last year and was originally anticipated to open by November, but construction did not go as quickly as planned and the opening was pushed into the new year.
Love’s spokeswoman Kealey Dorian says construction is on track and the majority of the exterior of the building is complete.
She tells WGIL the hiring process has also started.
“Between the travel stop, the two restaurants and then we also have a Love’s truck tire care center that serves professional drivers, we’ll be looking to hire approximately 60 people,” Dorian says. “Most of the positions will be hired from right there in the area and the majority of them will be full-time.”
Chester’s Fried Chicken and Subway restaurants have been announced as the eateries being included. Real estate manager William Gleason said in 2015 that a Hampton Inn would be a part of the real estate development, but Dorian says that’s now up in the air.
“It has been discussed,” Dorian says. “We don’t have any solid plans. Our focus right now is to get the travel stop open and see how that goes. Then, we can come back and revisit that discussion as far as the hotel.”
The building project is part of a nationwide expansion for Love’s.
