Editor's note: Darren Schulte, NATSO vice president of membership, frequently visits NATSO members to review their locations and offers impactful merchandising and operations improvements. Contact Schulte at dschulte@natso.com or (915) 526-5820 to learn more about the costs and details of this service.
For many of our independent travel plaza members, there is an untapped opportunity to capitalize on specific sights, sounds and flavors distinct to their community.
Doing just that, Frog City Travel Plaza in Rayne, Louisiana, has capitalized on its connection with frogs, drawing on the local flair of the community they operate in to create a memorable brand and draw in travelers as well as locals.
Rayne is the frog capital of the world, and the travel plaza has tapped into frogs for everything from its signage to its menu. The location has frog ashtrays, frog t-shirts, etc., which appeal to tourists traveling through.
The location also draws on the Cajun heritage within Louisiana and offers Cajun hot sauces and spices, which are a great addition for travelers wanting to take home a souvenir of the south or locals who have a taste for spicy items.
Frog City also has clothing branded with the word Cajun.
The menu at the restaurant adjacent to the location features Cajun fare, including frog legs, which draws the theme all the way through.
Frog City, which is also an Ambest location, is one of the brother locations to Silver’s Travel Plaza. Silver’s recently underwent a renovation and re-branding with On the Run.
Frog City will be getting a rebranding in the future, which will only further increase the atmosphere and the bottom line.
/// Did you know most weeks you can find me visiting a NATSO member truckstop location, spending three to four days, using my merchandising and operations expertise to help them grow their business? I periodically share about those great retailers I visit here on the blog. Read more Truckstop Travels here.
Photo Credit: Darren Schulte/NATSO
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