CORNERSVILLE, Tenn. — Dolly Parton made a surprise appearance on June 24 to celebrate the grand opening of Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop, officially entering the highway hospitality business with a massive gas station and entertainment center designed to rival industry giants.
Looking radiant and full of her trademark energy, the country music icon cut the ribbon while showering the crowd in pink streamers and butterfly-shaped confetti. Parton, who partnered with her manager Danny Nozell and property owner Gregory H. Sachs for the project, was quick to address the inevitable comparisons to a certain Texas-based competitor.
“I’m sure some of you wonder why I wanted a truck stop,” Parton told the cheering crowd. “Well, I couldn’t leave it to beavers. I had to throw my squirrely little self in there.”
While the grand opening had the polish of a major Hollywood premiere, the June ribbon-cutting actually marked the culmination of a grueling, five-year journey. The project was not simply a quick rebuild followed by a celebrity rebranding, but rather a complex development that evolved through multiple phases of construction, weather setbacks, and strategic pivots.
A Five-Year Journey from Fire to Flagship
The property at Exit 22 off Interstate 65 has operated as the Tennessean Travel Stop since 1974. However, in July 2021, an early morning kitchen fire destroyed much of the original building. Rather than simply repairing the damage, ownership elected to demolish the structure and replace it with a substantially larger, modern facility capable of serving the growing I-65 corridor.
Construction was hampered almost immediately by unusually wet conditions across Middle Tennessee. Persistent heavy rainfall delayed grading operations and made it difficult to stabilize the building pad. Contractors were forced to spend additional time achieving proper soil compaction before foundation work could proceed, pushing portions of the schedule back before vertical construction even began. Because large travel centers require extensive underground infrastructure—including fuel storage systems and reinforced pavement for tractor-trailers—these early weather delays created a ripple effect throughout the entire timeline.
A Midstream Change in Vision
Perhaps the biggest reason the timeline was so extended is that today’s Dolly-themed destination was not the original end goal.
Sachs initially rebuilt the Tennessean Travel Stop as a traditional, albeit modernized, facility. It wasn’t until 2025, after the new travel center was substantially complete, that the partnership with Parton and Nozell emerged. Rather than opening immediately as a conventional truck stop, ownership chose to invest additional time and capital to transform the space. Portions of the newly completed facility had to be redesigned and remodeled again to incorporate Parton’s branding, specialized entertainment venues, and themed décor.
Unlike many large renovations, however, the Tennessean didn’t shut down for this second phase. Portions of the facility remained operational while crews completed the Dolly transformation. Professional drivers familiar with the stop had already been using the renovated facility for months prior to the official ribbon cutting. This soft rollout allowed operators to maintain business and work through operational kinks before welcoming thousands of fans for the high-profile grand opening.
A More Ambitious Destination
The finished project is considerably more ambitious than a standard post-fire rebuild. Inspired by Parton’s East Tennessee roots and decades spent touring by bus, developers bypassed the traditional interstate fuel stop model to create a full-scale destination.
The expanded facility features:
- A full-service sit-down restaurant and meat-and-three
- DLY BBQ, featuring low-and-slow smoked meats
- Dolly’s Cup of Ambition Coffee, a new brand launched with Community Coffee
- A main stage for live local music and an upstairs event space
- The Doggy Parton dog park
- A custom tour bus installation for fan photo opportunities
- Expanded retail space and EV charging stations
Crucially, while the center shares the massive scale of Buc-ee’s, it deliberately sets itself apart by welcoming professional drivers. Unlike its competitor, Dolly’s explicitly caters to the trucking community with dedicated heavy-duty fueling lanes, expansive truck parking, hot showers, laundry facilities, and a dedicated trucker’s lounge.
“Good food, real rest, a little music, and people who are genuinely glad you stopped in… that’s what the road has always deserved, and that is what you will find here,” Parton said.
Cornersville was chosen for this flagship location due to its storied legacy as a highway haven and its strategic placement just an hour south of Nashville. According to ownership, this is planned to be the “first of many,” with Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stops expected to expand to other underserved regions in the coming years.
How to get there:
Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop
3686 Pulaski Hwy, Cornersville, TN 37047
Summary Driving Directions from Maryville, TN: The trip is approximately 242 miles and takes roughly 3.5 hours under normal traffic conditions. The most direct route takes you west on I-40 toward Nashville before connecting to I-65 South. You will follow I-65 South toward Huntsville and take Exit 22 for Cornersville, which brings you directly to the travel stop on Pulaski Highway. View the route on Google Maps
Planning a Trip from Blount County For Blount County residents looking to experience Dolly’s newest venture, this makes for an excellent weekend road trip or a long day’s drive.
Heading out from Maryville or Alcoa, the route is a straightforward interstate cruise west across the state. Because the travel center is situated an hour south of Nashville, residents might consider pairing the three-and-a-half-hour drive with a larger trip to Music City or a scenic detour through Middle Tennessee. Since the location is open 24 hours and features a dog park, full-service dining, and large entertainment venues, it is an easy anchor point to build an itinerary around, offering plenty of space to stretch out and enjoy East Tennessee’s hometown hero making her mark on the highway.