Three restaurants to be part of new truck stop in south Bibb

When the Love’s Travel Stop under construction off Interstate 75 in south Bibb County opens, it will include a lot more than fueling pumps and a truck tire center.

“(It) will have Chester’s chicken, Godfather’s Pizza and Subway restaurants,” said Kealey Dorian, communications specialist with Oklahoma City-based Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Inc., wrote in an email. “Love’s is the franchisee for all three restaurants.”

The 12,000-square-foot Love’s truck stop will be on about 17 acres at 5189, 5211 and 5251 Sardis Church Road in the I-75 Business Park, south of Hartley Bridge Road.

The restaurants will be in the same building as the travel stop, Dorian said. A Love’s Truck Tire Care center, offering tire and mechanical services for professional semi-truck drivers, will be in a separate building.

The entire facility would employ a total of about 80 people, and about 10 of those employees would work at the truck tire center, she said. The facility is expected to have 119 truck parking spaces.

“We got started with work at the site a few weeks ago and at this point, we hope to be open by late spring 2017,” she said.

This will be the only Chester’s and Godfather’s Pizza in Middle Georgia.

Founded in 1952, Birmingham, Alabama-based Chester’s has three other locations in Georgia, according to its website. The company got its start frying doughnuts. Its market primarily consists of restaurant-in-store concepts, such as colleges, airports, convenience stores, truck stops and supermarkets.

Omaha, Nebraska-based Godfather’s Pizza was founded in 1973, following the release of “The Godfather” movie throughout the country, according to its website. The fast-casual restaurant has more than 480 locations in more than 34 states. The company currently has five other restaurants in Georgia.

Love’s announced last month it would be adding 64 Godfather’s Pizza Express restaurants this year and into next year in six states, with a majority in Oklahoma. Love’s was founded in 1964 and has more than 390 locations in 40 states.

This story was originally published October 19, 2016 at 6:20 PM with the headline "Three restaurants to be part of new truck stop in south Bibb."