AMARILLO, Texas – Truck stop giant Love’s is investing $6 million in locations near a huge store owned by their competitor, Texas highway staple Buc-ee’s. 

According to the Oklahoma-based Love’s, they plan to add quick-service restaurants, sales floor expansions and new fresh food sections to the stores – amenities that are a hallmark to the home of the beaver. 

Love’s $6M investment

The two stores Love’s is remodeling with the multi-million-dollar investment are in Dalhart and Dumas, the chain confirmed to FOX Local on Friday. Both Panhandle locations are near Amarillo, where Buc-ee’s operates one of their Texas-sized truck stops. 

Big picture view:

Both stores are receiving $3 million in upgrades, Love’s said. It’s a part of what they call their “Road Ahead Plan,” an effort to newly construct or overhaul a number of stores that will ultimately make up more than half of their offerings by the year 2035, they said. 

The renovations to the Dalhart and Dumas stores will include:

• Expanding and modernizing the sales floor and coffee/drink areas.
• Updating or expanding restrooms and showers.
• Adding fresh food sections and installing new vestibules.
• New quick-service restaurants.

What’s next:

Love’s operates 83 stores in Texas, including their newest travel stop in San Antonio. Of those, 11 are slated to be renovated in the next year. A few of those included in the release are located in Encinal, San Antonio and Lufkin.

Love’s and Buc-ees: History of rivalry

The backstory:

The two truck stop giants have a past of legal run-ins fueled by geographical competition. 

In 2022, Buc-ee’s hit a roadblock when expanding to the very Amarillo location where Love’s is investing. That Panhandle Buc-ee’s was stalled briefly by a suit involving a SpeedCo station, the San Antonio Express-News reported at the time, which is owned by Love’s. 

Buc-ee’s was not directly involved in that lawsuit, at the time only having expressed intent to buy the undeveloped 20-acre tract, according to the Express. 

Dig deeper:

Buc-ee’s has been involved in numerous recent lawsuits with competitors, claiming in several cases that gas station companies were using logos too similar to their beaver mascot.