Dolly Parton's New Travel Stop Will Offer Glitz, Glam, And Other Treats

Gas station food is all the rage right now. As flight prices increase, more people take to the roads to go long distances. With more road trips, there's a larger need for places to stop, rest, and refuel. While people debate which is better, Wawa or Buc-Ee's, and stops such as Sheetz and Maverik expand to new freeway offramps, an updated option is entering the market. Legendary country singer Dolly Parton has partnered with Tennessean Travel Stop, a giant truck stop, restaurant, performance venue, and supplier of everything else you need from a highway stop. The new venture is fittingly called Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop.

The current mega rest stop has been in Cornersville, Tennessee, since 1974. It will remain open during renovations, before its rebrand is complete in the summer of 2026. In a press release, Parton stated her reasoning for creating a new rest stop experience. "I have spent the bulk of my life on the road, and more specifically on a bus," she says. "All the years spent visiting greasy spoon cafes, truck stops, and roadside pit stops have given me an understanding of what travelers desire on the road." Plans to expand beyond the Cornersville location will be announced in 2026.

Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop won't just offer gas and food, as it plans to add regional retail and entertainment to the experience as well. The current location already has live music, promising to give a weary traveler a break from AM/FM radio and podcasts. There are even karaoke nights for drivers to belt out tunes like "Here I Go Again" before they go back down the road. Other modern amenities are in the works for the retrofit, and the vibe promises to be approachable and welcoming to all.

It will be a celebration of Tennessee. Currently, it offers multiple dining options, including barbecue, brunch, a shop with coffee and ice cream, and a grab-and-go, but it plans to expand its curated dining selection. Whether or not it can land on Daily Meal's list of the best gas station food finds in the country is yet to be seen. If we judge by some of Dolly Parton's favorite foods, however, it promises to offer a lot of traditional Southern fare.