A historic truckstop chain will stay open despite bankruptcy proceedings for its longtime owners.

Dixie Truckers Home, based in McLean, Ill., is a four-location chain that got its start along historic Route 66 in 1928. The truckstop pioneered the 24-hour concept, burying the keys in the pavement and not closing until a fire leveled it in 1965.
The truckstops have been owned and operated by the same family since the first one was opened by Mark Beeler's great-grandfather. But no more, reports The (Bloomington, Ill.) Pantagraph. Beeler has run Dixie Management Group since 1986. But the company was forced by creditors into filing for bankruptcy last month, and the business name was sold to Quantum Management Group of Charleston, S.C.
Quantum told the paper it has plans for all four of the Dixie Truckers Home locations - McLean, Tuscola, Effingham, and Erie, Pa. Quantum bought the right to use the name and is leasing the property from Dixie Management.
The bankruptcy filing has not affected business at any of the four Dixie truckstops. Quantum bought them before the bankruptcy proceeding; officials were pleased to hire Dixie's 340 employees and have plans to expand the chain. Quantum's parent company, CTP Inc., has three other companies in Charleston and is planning to build a travel plaza there, which will also use the Dixie name. The company plans to complete existing plans for another location in LeRoy. After that, it hopes to expand in the Midwest as well as the Southeast. The goal is to have a chain running from Illinois through Tennessee and North Carolina to link with Charleston.
Creditors listed in the bankruptcy filing include BP Amoco Corp., Bunn Capitol Corp. and Burkland Distributors Inc., according to the paper.