Changes at Flying J

BigRed32771

Expert Expediter
reading the now moved posting about the temporary closing and changes of the restaurant at the Flying J in North Houston reminds me that I haven't seen info on here regarding the general nature of that change. I've been told by managers at some that the J is getting out of the restaurant business entirely, and that over the next couple of years all of their restaurants/buffets will be converted to a franchise operation. Denny's is one of the primary names involved in this, which is consistent with the current report about the Houston location. I've also heard that most new Pilot's will have Denny's as their dining option. Since Pilot and FJ now share a common majority owner, this makes some sense. I guess the upshot is that if you love the buffet at the J, enjoy it now because it'll be going away in the relatively near future.

Doug
 

fortwayne

Not a Member
I wish FJ would put this big of a focus on customer service and extending the fuel cards that they allow at their Pilot locations to be usable at FJ.

I like FJ alot but heck if I can't fuel there I only go there when I don't have to shower, don't have to fuel, and just need a place to park the truck.

When I am in Laredo, I would rather fuel, shower and park at the Flying J rather than pray for my life at the Pilot ghetto project location or have a time limit to park at the TA........that's why the Love's 15-miles up the road is sometimes the best answer.

FJ is going to make some changes down the road, and thats good, I just hope that they do more than do some remarketing and changing of their restuarants.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
A year ago or more, Pilot announced an agreement with Denny's to put Denny's in most or all of the new Pilots, as well as to convert as many existing Pilots to Denny's as practical (some locations simply aren't big enough for a sit-down restaurant). The J in Pasco, FL already has had their remodel into a Denny's, others are to follow.

From what I understand, Flying J will eventaully be out of the sit-down restaurant business altogether, and national chains like Denny's franchises will be replacing all of the Country Markets. Denny's is the likely choice for most, but I've seen at least one Pilot location where there is a Steak n Shake instead of a Denny's.

Look for a lot of changes at the J, like the acceptance of Comdata at all locations. I've noticed that the fuel prices of the J are no longer cheaper than the Pilot nearby, and are usually spot-on with them. Flying J's headquarters will be moving from Ogden to Knoxville.

Since the Pilot is so into driver conveniences like driver's lounges and TV lounges <snort> look for those at the J to go bye bye in favor of using that non-revenue producing space to be filled with revenue producing Pilot-owned restaurant franchises (Pilot is the 10th largest restaurant franchisee in the country, owning more than 275 restaurants and counting, including Arby's, Chester's Chicken, Dairy Queen, Denny's, KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, T.J. Cinnamons, Taco Bell, and Wendy's, and is the largest Subway franchisee with 120 restaurants). The Haw River J will have its restaurant replaced by a Denny's, and, surprise surprise, the driver's lounge will be remodeled into a Wendy's.

The big fleets want their drivers to fuel up, grab something fast to eat while rolling, and keep on rolling, and Pilot caters to that in not wanting drivers to lounge around the place. In exchange for catering to the wishes of large truck fleets, those fleets often mandate that their drivers get fuel at the Pilot. Scratch mine, scratch yours.

Flying J's will soon be massaged, molded and converted into fuel stops with showers, with convenience stores and food courts. Like a Pilot, only bigger.

I have no idea what will become of the Frequent Fueler Program, but I won't be surprised if it isn't eventually converted to the same thing as the Pilot Payback Program so that the one card can be used interchangeably at all Pilot and Flying J locations. Yay.
 

MYGIA

Expert Expediter
Owner/Operator
I have no idea what will become of the Frequent Fueler Program, but I won't be surprised if it isn't eventually converted to the same thing as the Pilot Payback Program so that the one card can be used interchangeably at all Pilot and Flying J locations. Yay.

Knowing the business relationship between Petro and T/A, I have written to both of these companies suggesting their driver loyalty cards be merged. To date I have never heard back from either company.:(
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I hate to think about the J fuel card program changing for vans. There's certainly nothing remotely as good with any of the others.
 

Tennesseahawk

Veteran Expediter
I've been finding a lot more comfy mom'n'pop joints lately. They still cater to the DRIVER more than most of the bigguns. If Pilot keeps this up, the drivers who like to socialize will leave the J behind.
 

guido4475

Not a Member
The manager of the
Beaverdam Flying J told me that the J's restaurants would be replaced by 3 others,locations not knowing who is going to get what choice. Denny's, IHOP, and Golden Corrall.Could you imagine a Golden Corrall at a truckstop? They'd go broke in a week !! And I find it amazing and sad at how the Pilot Challenge magazine preaches healthy eating so much in each isssue, but yet all they put in the Pilots are those fast-food joints.And I find it sad that in the past the Fyling J catered more to the R.V. ers than to the truckdrivers.I mean, c'mon,ever realize the amount of stuffed animals the J have in their stores? I'ts a joke. I could go on and on about this, but what difference would it make?
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
The manager of the
Beaverdam Flying J told me that the J's restaurants would be replaced by 3 others,locations not knowing who is going to get what choice. Denny's, IHOP, and Golden Corrall.Could you imagine a Golden Corrall at a truckstop? They'd go broke in a week !! And I find it amazing and sad at how the Pilot Challenge magazine preaches healthy eating so much in each isssue, but yet all they put in the Pilots are those fast-food joints.And I find it sad that in the past the Fyling J catered more to the R.V. ers than to the truckdrivers.I mean, c'mon,ever realize the amount of stuffed animals the J have in their stores? I'ts a joke. I could go on and on about this, but what difference would it make?

Guido..you are not saying the J's buffet is health food are ya?? My gawd man....that stuff will kill ya quicker than a Big Mac....

I stick to the soup and salad bar myself IF I eat in a J.
 

fortwayne

Not a Member
Ditto on those little ma and pa locations....heck I was somewhere down in New Mexico and I walked in and had dinner at thier cafe, went into the store and bought a pop and asked the clerk how much their showers cost making sure they knew I DID NOT fuel at all.
Listen to this - IT WAS FREE!
Yep, much prefer the ma and pa spots WHEN you can find them.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Gotta give the J some credit, tho. They're the only place I know who figured out how to batter and bread, and deep fry, mac and cheese. Bite-sized arterial plug-n-play.
 

Falligator

Expert Expediter
Gotta give the J some credit, tho. They're the only place I know who figured out how to batter and bread, and deep fry, mac and cheese. Bite-sized arterial plug-n-play.
Yup....just barely passed my physical and thanks to the J my blood pressure was 138/86...**whew!**
 

rikd57

Seasoned Expediter
Gotta give the J some credit, tho. They're the only place I know who figured out how to batter and bread, and deep fry, mac and cheese. Bite-sized arterial plug-n-play.

I wish there were one truck stop chain that was consistently clean and consistently had decent food. Denny's might be an improvement! It would also be nice if there were a truckstop that didn't feel obligated to rip their loyal truckers on the price of virtually everything in the store. I really liked the low fuel prices that the J provided and the Transportation Alliance Bank. But when I go browsing in the C-store and see that all of their off-brand no-name electronics are priced hgher than good quality name brands at normal stores, I understand why they weren't making money. Truckstops should be one of the least expensive places to buy things for our trucks and for our lives on the road
!
As for the J restaurants, they were great if you like plastic food because almost everything they served had the feel of cheap microwave food.
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
140/90 is supposed to get a one year pass if memory serves me correctly.

I don't have the form with me..you could be correct...

Now that I've had some work done on my heart...132/64 hehehe and that is not even trying....:D
 

Falligator

Expert Expediter
My long form says that 140/90 passes....lol....only one problem I do see with Denny's at the J's...All the 3am drunks will be there when we expediters are trying to sleep at night...although i do like the 2.99 grand slam....mmmmmmm I hope they continue to let us park there unlike when the detroiter got I hop...it meant "we hop".....(out of the parking lot) LOL:cool:
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Vans can still park at the Detroiter, no problem. Go into the big truck lot, either wave to the toll booth collector as you go by, or stop and say hi, and then go all the way to the back, but not into the Werner Playpen. It's the concrete barrier wall in front of the Werner playpen where the vans can park. Some people park parallel to the wall, but I back right up to it, front of the van facing north.
 

xiggi

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
My long form says that 140/90 passes....lol....only one problem I do see with Denny's at the J's...All the 3am drunks will be there when we expediters are trying to sleep at night...although i do like the 2.99 grand slam....mmmmmmm I hope they continue to let us park there unlike when the detroiter got I hop...it meant "we hop".....(out of the parking lot) LOL:cool:

At a truck stop i picture the 2.99 grandslam being more like 4.99.
 

guido4475

Not a Member
Guido..you are not saying the J's buffet is health food are ya?? My gawd man....that stuff will kill ya quicker than a Big Mac....

I stick to the soup and salad bar myself IF I eat in a J.

I once ate at the J's buffet and to say that was enough is an understatement.For a truckstop chain claiming to have a 5-star chef designing their food choices, it sure tated like crap.No taste, bland, and there werent enough seasonings to get it to taste right.And their food is never hot, and if it is, it is burnt.About the only thing that tastes good there is their pancakes.But as for the rest of the food, I strongly recommend it to anyone who may be constipated.My record is 3 hours after point of intake. that I blew an exhaust gasket.And it was ugly.Need I go any further? It is no wonder that their restaurants never were packed full or as busy as a Petro.If I want a well cooked meal, I'll end up going to a Petro.Never had a bad meal there since 1989.
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
I once ate at the J's buffet and to say that was enough is an understatement.For a truckstop chain claiming to have a 5-star chef designing their food choices, it sure tated like crap.No taste, bland, and there werent enough seasonings to get it to taste right.And their food is never hot, and if it is, it is burnt.About the only thing that tastes good there is their pancakes.But as for the rest of the food, I strongly recommend it to anyone who may be constipated.My record is 3 hours after point of intake. that I blew an exhaust gasket.And it was ugly.Need I go any further? It is no wonder that their restaurants never were packed full or as busy as a Petro.If I want a well cooked meal, I'll end up going to a Petro.Never had a bad meal there since 1989.

Now that you are van driver and stepped up to the good life..there is no need, to eat in them slop buckets anymore...:D
 
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