Jul 12, 2017

Howe Travel Plazas Now Open; HMSHost, ITR Concession Co, Sunoco Celebrate

Travelers at Milepost 126 are welcomed with Refresh & Co., Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Starbucks® Coffee. Sunoco also opens new fuel station and APlus convenience store

HOWE, IN — Spruce up your next road trip on the Interstate 80/90 Indiana Toll Road—pull off for a bite to eat at the new travel plazas in Howe, Indiana. Two new state-of-the-art plaza facilities opened their doors to the public on July 3 in time for the busy holiday travel; Gene S. Porter Travel Plaza for drivers on the eastbound side and Ernie Pyle Travel Plaza for the westbound side. Global restaurateur HMSHost, the ITR Concession Company LLC, and Sunoco gathered today to officially celebrate the grand opening and welcome drivers stopping in for food, relaxation, and fuel. Each plaza offers leading food and beverage options from Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Starbucks® coffees, and an HMSHost brand called Refresh & Co.

In celebration of the plaza’s opening in the community, a joint grant of $7,500 was made to the Faith Mission of Elkhart, Inc. by HMSHost Foundation, whose mission is to fight the root causes of poverty, the ITR Concession Company, and Sunoco. Faith Mission is a locally-based social service agency which provides food, shelter, clothing and other services for homeless individuals.

“HMSHost is very excited to celebrate the opening of Howe Travel Plaza on the Indiana Toll Road,” said HMSHost Vice President of Business Development Michael Price. “We thank our partners with the Indiana Toll Road and the brands for their important roles in delivering this modern facility for the enjoyment of Indiana travelers. Howe will now be a destination stop for hungry drivers for the rest of the summer and for many years to come.”

Alongside popular national brands, Refresh & Co. is a concept by HMSHost that offers drivers high-quality dining options from a casual marketplace-style eatery. Guests can quickly order a meal via self-ordering and self-pay kiosks from a menu that features a variety of freshly-prepared food made with quality ingredients. Refresh & Co. gives travelers the opportunity to indulge in daily seasonal soups, hand-stretched pizzas, and grilled-to-order burgers. Refresh & Co. also features specialty retail goods such as healthy to-go packaged snacks and Indiana-themed items like ‘Hoosier’ t-shirts.

“We’re delighted to open the first newly built full size travel plaza and we are committed to providing travelers of the Indiana Toll Road with a great experience,” said Alyssa Staley, Director of Human Resources and Customer Service for the ITR Concession Co., LLC (Indiana Toll Road). “Our mission is to provide clean and modern facilities that everyone can use and enjoy.”

The Indiana Toll Road selected Sunoco to be the fuel provider along this important corridor to Chicago, and now Howe offers has six gasoline dispensers and four diesel dispensers as well as a new outpost of Sunoco’s APlus convenience store, which provides a variety of convenience items to drivers.

“Sunoco and APlus together strive to offer our guests the best customer experience with our family of brands,” said Helen Caravello Regional Director, Sunoco LP. “Indiana drivers, interstate truckers and cross-country tourists will find an offering of diesel from high-speed dispensers and Sunoco Ultratech, a high detergent fuel blend. We look forward to bringing premium service to our guests.”

The new Howe Travel Plaza is the latest segment of the Indiana Toll Road Travel Plaza Master Plan to be completed. HMSHost also operates restaurants at the George N. Craig and the Henry F. Shricker Travel Plazas in Indiana. The Rolling Prairie location will be the next Indiana Toll Road plaza redevelopment site to open.