Pilot Company is about a quarter of the way through its $1 billion store remodeling initiative as it recently completed its 100th renovation, according to a Dec. 7 company announcement.
As of this summer, Pilot said it had more than 80 stores renovated out of the more than 400 travel centers it planned to update as part of its New Horizons program, which launched in March 2022.
In October, Pilot Chief Operating Officer Brad Anderson said the company was expecting to hit 100 within the “next several months,” while reaching 400 would take “the next several years” to achieve.
With Pilot originally giving itself three years to complete all 400 remodels, the project appears to be behind schedule. In October, Allison Cornish, vice president of store modernization for Pilot, said things like permitting, availability of supplies and weather had caused construction delays, and that the company was “working to complete these projects as quickly as possible.”
Two months later, Cornish called the company’s 100th store remodel a “milestone” in its New Horizons program, according to the announcement.
To celebrate its 100th remodel, Pilot hosted events at its recently renovated travel center in Salt Lake City and at the newly rebuilt location in Greenfield, Indiana. Activities included music and games, gas card giveaways, food sampling, celebrity meet-and-greets and more.
The Salt Lake City and Greenfield travel centers were updated with remodeled restrooms and showers, a new kitchen and expanded menu of fresh foods, self-checkout kiosks, laundry facilities and an improved lounge for professional drivers.
Other potential upgrades for stores in the New Horizons program include adding energy-efficient lighting in the forecourt, updating branding, expanding dining areas, upgrading staff break rooms and kitchen equipment, and implementing EV charging stations.
"We received many requests from drivers to renovate the Greenfield, Indiana store and its amenities, which is why we completely tore down and rebuilt a brand-new travel center with sparkling restrooms and more fresh food options," said Cornish.
Founded in 1958, Knoxville, Tennessee-based Pilot operates more than 870 travel centers across 44 U.S. states and six Canadian provinces.
