IHOP could be part of new Love's Travel Stop in Sidney

There’s a new gas station project set to break ground in Sidney, and it’s expected to bring some amenities that residents will get to enjoy as well.

Love’s Travel Stop and Country Stores is eyeing a location at exit 59 on Interstate 80 in Sidney – the easternmost exit near multiple hotels, restaurants and Wal-Mart.

Executives for Love’s will reveal their plan at Monday’s Planning Commission meeting at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

“We hope to be underway with construction by spring,” said Love’s media specialist Kealy Dorean. “The travel stop will have convenience store items like snacks, fountain drinks, gift merchandise, items for professional drivers and more. It will also have a restaurant.”

Dorean mentioned that an International House of Pancakes restaurant – or IHOP – is part of the plan, but stressed that no contract had been signed just yet.

Love’s is also planning a housing unit for it’s future employees, hoping to curtail its workers from dealing with the shortage of housing in Sidney, Dorean said.

“We will be constructing a 60- to 75-room hotel and employee housing units adjacent to the travel stop,” Dorean said. “The brand of the hotel has yet to be determined, as has the size of the employee housing units. Studies showed that ample housing in the area was a concern, so we wanted to provide future team members with a comfortable and cost-effective place to stay.”

Love’s could bring a lot of traffic through Sidney while providing yet another dining experience, and that has city manager Gary Person excited.

“We’re really excited about them coming,” Person said. “They’ll bring a lot of business our way.”

Love’s – headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla. – operates more than 300 stores in 39 states.