Love's unveils remodeled store in Oklahoma City

The store, which has been open since 1988, now sports a new brick exterior, bigger restrooms, more indoor seating and state-of-the-art dispensers for frozen yogurt and frozen beverages.

In all, Oklahoma City-based Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores spent about $400,000 on the store's makeover, part of a growing remodeling effort for its neighborhood convenience stores in this region.

“It's just meeting the needs of the customers,” said Mike Herman, director of Love's stores. “They tell us what they want and then it's just figuring out a way to do it.”

Some of the changes at the store south of Oklahoma City Community College are noticeable to passers-by, but some require visitors to step inside.

Herman said officials tried to make the remodeled store more shoppable and comfortable, with new lighting and earth-tone floors and walls.

Brighter look

“It's brighter,” he said. “It gives you a more open feeling.”

Such renovations can be difficult because many Love's stores don't have any room to grow.

Herman said he spent a lot of time searching for the right amenities for the new look.

He is proud of touch-screen frozen yogurt and drink machines that have been added to the SW 89 store.

Even though they occupy only about 6 feet of wall space, the machines are capable of dispensing 17 yogurt options and 11 drink options. Many of those choices can be mixed together at the touch of a button.