Texarkana Gazette

76 gives travelers place to cool their heels

- By Junius Stone

At the new 76 Travel Center on Kings Highway at the Interstate 30 exit in Nash, customers are sure to find clean restrooms at any point in the day.

Since the travel center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, this is quite a commitment. But it is a commitment that goes all the way to the top ownership.

“We guarantee that,” said Tambi Idris, owner and operator. “Anyone who has done any traveling can share experience­s of bathrooms that are less than pleasant, less than clean. You won’t have that problem here.”

Of course, the bathrooms aren’t the first thing a customer will see. Besides the fuel islands, there’s a range of eateries, including Golden Chick, Steak ‘n Shake and Dunkin Donuts.

“Dunkin Donuts is one place locals are especially excited about,” Idris said. “We’ve gotten lots of questions about that one, and the customers have been lining up.”

The featured eatery at the travel center, however, is Texas Best Smokehouse. Idris is an owner of this

“We don’t hire people and tell them to be friendly; we hire friendly people.”

place and he guarantees it features his personal touch.

“I created most of the recipes, and they are all in-house features,” he said.

When determinin­g where to build the center, Idris and his partners did their research.

“We’ve built other travel centers like this, and we know how to make them work. We saw this high-traffic area with lots of travelers, close to three different states. We then put in the land bid and started building last year. And now, here we are.”

The 76 Travel Center is intended to meet the immediate needs of most travelers. Described as a comfortabl­e place to get out and “stretch your legs and relax,” 76 provides several options for the weary traveler and casual diner alike.

Jennifer Dillon, a traveler from out of state, sampled the jerky, which Idris described as one of their featured staples.

“I like the garlic-flavored jerky,” she said, chewing it carefully.

Dillon then walked around the dining area, with attentive workers greeting her.

“We don’t hire people and tell them to be friendly; we hire friendly people,” Idris said. “Customer service is our highest goal here. Let customers know they are welcome and make sure their needs are met. Need food, need gas, need some basic staples for yourself or your car, need a quick gift, or simply need a space to rest, especially a clean, comfortabl­e restroom, we have all of that here.”

“We stay on top of it,” said Basil Khalosi, manager. “That’s how we manage it, especially the bathrooms. How do they look right now? Great. I just checked.”

“We cater to travelers, and we want great word of mouth going out. That’s how you succeed in this business. People will talk about the quality of your food, the comfort of your place, the hospitalit­y of your employees and of course, the clean, comfortabl­e bathrooms. We want you to experience all of it,” said Idris.

On the way out, customers can ring the bell if they enjoyed their experience. If they do, the entire staff will thank you.

 ?? Staff photo by Evan Lewis ?? A patron samples beef jerky Thursday during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new travel stop at Kings Highway and Interstate 30 in Nash, Texas.
Staff photo by Evan Lewis A patron samples beef jerky Thursday during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new travel stop at Kings Highway and Interstate 30 in Nash, Texas.
 ?? Staff photo/ Evan Lewis ?? Mayor Robert Bunch of Nash, Texas, welcomes 76 Travel Center and its partners Thursday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new travel stop at Kings Highway and Interstate 30.
Staff photo/ Evan Lewis Mayor Robert Bunch of Nash, Texas, welcomes 76 Travel Center and its partners Thursday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new travel stop at Kings Highway and Interstate 30.

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