Today, many U.S. gas stations have turned into giant convenience stores, allowing customers to stock up on groceries while they’re fueling up. While mainstream adoption might be relatively recent, the idea isn’t new. Love’s gas stations have been offering groceries since the mid-’70s. 

Love’s was originally founded under the name Musket Corp in 1964 by married entrepreneurs Tom and Judy Love. The first station appeared in Watonga, Oklahoma, and the chain quickly expanded from there. Love’s now operates 670 locations across the country. While the size of its network has changed massively since its early days, its ownership has not.

Since the beginning, the chain has been owned by the Love family, and it continues to be family-owned today. Though co-founder Tom Love passed away in 2023, he is survived by his wife and four children. According to Forbes’ 2025 rankings, Love’s Travel Stops is the 15th largest privately owned company in America, with a revenue of $21.6 billion.

This family ownership structure contrasts with most of its rivals, many of which are ultimately owned by foreign parent companies. Brands like Amoco, Kwik Shop, and Turkey Hill are actually owned by British companies, while Lukoil is owned by a Russian state-affiliated company.

As well as remaining under its original family ownership, Love’s has also remained headquartered in the same location in Oklahoma for decades. The Love’s main office building was originally located next to a Hertz call center in The Village, Oklahoma. After Hertz shuttered operations at the site, Love’s bought the former call center in 2019 and transformed it into an extension of its headquarters. Speaking to The Oklahoman at the time, co-founder Tom Love said he started the business in The Village simply because that’s he and his wife were living at the time, shortly after they got married.

Since then, Love’s has expanded to operate in over 40 states. The chain also claims that its Love’s and Speedco locations form the largest truck maintenance network across the country, offering 1,500 maintenance bays in total. Since diesel remains the ideal fuel for long-haul trucking, all of Love’s truck stops are equipped with ample diesel pumps, but Love’s also operates a chain of Alternative Energy locations that can include hydrogen and CNG refueling facilities, plus EV charging points.