TravelCenters of America has unveiled new regional menus for their sit-down restaurants.

The new menus were created with professional drivers’ appetites and taste preferences. “We knew Step One of our process was to connect with consumers on what they look for when traveling the nation’s interstates,” said Paul Huckelberry, vice president of restaurant marketing, TravelCenters of America. “In order to find out, we conducted thorough focus groups. We paid particular attention to what fleet drivers and owner-operators wanted. We consider them our best and most hard-working customers and we wanted to make sure the new menus met their taste requirements.”
TA not only worked with a culinary company to create the new tastes, but then taste-tested the new selections with professional drivers and utilized their feedback to finalize the new menu. The result is an array of new items designed especially for professional drivers.
TA’s new menus reflect unique regional specialties. There are versions for the Northeast, South, Midwest, Southwest and Northwest. “One of the first things drivers told us was they love variety with a flair toward items that are regional specialties like Chicken Gumbo in the South or Grilled Chipotle Salmon in the Northwest,” said Tina Facca, manager of restaurant marketing for TravelCenters of America. “Many professional drivers travel across the country and wanting variety makes sense. We are thrilled to offer them new dishes that are regional favorites.”
New regional items are a perfect compliment to TA’s signature menu items. Among the nearly 50 new specialties are savory Yankee Pot Roast and Blackberry Cobbler in the Northeast, Fried Catfish and juicy Southern Fried Chicken in the South, Charbroiled Hamsteak and Loaded Baked Potato Soup in the Midwest, Enchiladas and Tortilla Soup in the Southwest and Grilled Salmon Salad or Grilled Chipotle Salmon in the Northwest.
“By talking to truck drivers, we learned what our opportunities were. We went back to them with concepts then back again with actual test menu items for their approval. Our core items and the new regional dishes ensure that drivers experience a variety of great-tasting meals and serious value for the price,” Facca added. “With the new menu, we created dishes that are intended to reward drivers before, during or after a hard days work.”
TravelCenters of America (TA), headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, is one of the largest network of full-service travel centers and heavy truck repair facilities in North America. The company has more than 11,500 employees at 159 locations in 40 states and Canada.
For more information, go to: www.tatravelcenters.com.