The appeal of a sit-down restaurant is not always about the food itself. It’s about comfort, connection and personal attention, which means providing a place to sit and rest can serve the same purpose as sit-down restaurants. Port Fuel Center has seating for about 50 people, even though most customers take their food to go.
University Korner also offers seating, and Yasir Bhatti, CEO of University Korner, said customers use seating for different purposes. “You have people on long journeys who might want to sit down and get coffee. Some people use their laptop or phone to get some work done. They might want to sit down and eat their sub,” he explained.
Busy Bee has created an outside seating area that is a very popular spot for families traveling to sit and eat. “Utilizing three large outside picnic tables, we continue our bee theme with seating in the shape of a hexagon. This is also a covered area allowing guests to still take advantage of sitting outside even during summer,” Waring said.
To provide a full-service feel within a grab-and-go or quick-serve format, operators can have staff walk the floor to refill drinks, clear trash or check in with guests. While speaking during NATSO Connect 2025, Austin Burns, president and CEO of Paragon Solutions, said 75% of professional drivers report that the job is physically and mentally stressful and demanding. “Truckers are people, too. We need to realize that, understand that and cater to that,” he added.
Serving the Whole Family
In addition to seating, more and more locations are putting in play areas for children, which can appeal to four-wheel traffic and RVers, and pet-friendly areas. “So many people travel with their pets,” Burns said. “Having dedicated areas for the pets and four-legged friends is a really big deal. People will plan stops with these dedicated areas for these pets.”
Busy Bee has a ‘Paws for a Sip’ stop in the front of its location. “We find that traveling with pets is increasing and we want to be able to provide a clean drinking station for them as well,” Waring said
While operators need to cater to all customers, Burns pointed out that professional drivers lead in revenue, bringing in higher total spending and average transaction values when compared to other customer types, spending about $200 on food and fuel a day. “We have to take advantage of that, harness that and design toward that,” he said.
Removing Friction
When it comes to laying out food service options and designing a location, Burns emphasized the importance of speed. A strategic layout with clear wayfinding can help customers get in and out faster or give them more time to sit and relax. Positioning grab-and-go at entrances and registers and quick pickup areas or food lockers at strategic locations can increase efficiency for drivers. “Don’t just put those in a corner or area that fits. These need to be put in an area that makes sense,” Burns said.
The NATSO Foundation’s Travel Center Foodservice Trends. The NATSO Foundation created a toolkit in collaboration with the NATSO Foundation’s 2026 Food and Beverage Steering Council to provide industry insights into successful food operations and best practices and serve as an inspiration as operations look for their next great idea in food service. It is available for $250 using the form below. Contact atoner@natso.com with questions.
Subscribe to Updates
The NATSO Foundation and NATSO provide a breadth of information created to strengthen travel plazas’ ability to meet the needs of the traveling public in an age of disruption. This includes knowledge filled blog posts, articles and publications. If you would like to receive a digest of blog post and articles directly in your inbox, please provide your name, email and the frequency of the updates you want to receive the email digest.
