What Happened to Stuckey's (Stuckey's History)
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- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
- What Happened to Stuckey's? The Golden Age of American Road trips
Embark on a nostalgic journey through the history of Stuckey's, a beloved American icon that became a roadside treasure for travelers across the nation. From its modest start as a pecan stand in 1937 to a chain of over 350 stores at its peak, Stuckey's captured the essence of Americana and the spirit of the open road.
Explore how Stuckey's grew from W.S. Stuckey Sr.'s vision of selling pecans to passing motorists into a flourishing business offering a unique blend of convenience, hospitality, and charm. With its signature blue-roofed stores, Stuckey's became synonymous with road trips, providing weary travelers with a place to rest, refuel, and indulge in sweet treats.
Delve into the golden era of Stuckey's during the mid-20th century, when it expanded rapidly along the nation's highways. Discover the delightful array of products that made Stuckey's famous, from their delectable pecan log rolls and pralines to souvenirs and gifts that captured the heart of American travel culture.
Join us as we pay homage to Stuckey's-a company that not only catered to the needs of travelers but also created lasting memories for generations of families. Whether you're a history buff, a fan of classic American road trips, or simply someone who loves a good story of entrepreneurial spirit, this video is a must-watch tribute to the enduring legacy of Stuckey's and its place in the heart of America.
#nostalgia #vintage #stuckeys #history
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What memories do you have of Stuckey's?
@@ThoseWonderYears
Working there.
We liked Stuckey's a lot but preferred Nickerson Farms. They had working bee hives built into an exterior wall, and as kids, we loved watching the bees.
Milkshakes….with my now gone dad.
8/3/24 STORY #2 1970 LEFT LOVELAND COLO ON RT 34 THUR MORNING /PICKED UP HICHHIKER NEAR GREELEY COLO / STOP AT STUCKEYS CREDIT CARD LEFT ON SEAT / ZIP-ZIP STOPS / HE WAS GOING TO OMAHA FOR SISTERS WEDDING SAT / CALLED SISTER SHE WAS (1/2 MILE OFF OF RT 80 ) DUMPRED HIM THUS NIGHT / 3 DAY HICH HIKE ENDED IN 12 HS / FUN FOR ALL INVOLVED
@@ThoseWonderYears Definitely. 👍
I’m 66 years old and my family used to take a road trip every year from California to Oklahoma and there was nothing and I mean nothing more exciting than stopping at a Stucky’s!
I am now 70. I remember those wonderful times when stopping at Stuckeys was a wonderful treat.miss those pecan rolls
@@jamesbates5762 the pecan rolls were the best
Great Video!!! At 71 years of age, I vividly remember stopping at Stuckey’s during my family’s annual vacation. My wife, dog and I travel via motorhome now and will again stop at every Stuckey’s on our adventures. Thanks Stefanie!!!
My mom loved to stop at Stuckeys and buy their pecan divinity and pecan patties. I remember it like it was yesterday. Me and my little sister riding in the back of her big ol Chevy Impala. Those were the good old days.
As a pilot on the way to FL I often stopped at an airport, EZM, Eastman, GA for fuel or an overnight rest. Driving in the loaner car from the airport I soon learned that this town was the place of the big Stucky factory that made the candy log rolls. It’s not called Stucky’s but rather some innocuous corporate name but it’s here the first Stucky’s store was opened. I think Bill Stucky gave the land for the airport too. It is a fabulous airport with a fine long runway and great lighting and RNAV approaches too. Last I was there, maybe 2010 or 2012, the old factory was still closed up. Very nice old Georgia town though.
The Stuckey kid got cheap interest loans from Jimmy Carter using the Farmers Home Administration. He built Section 8 apartments all over Georgia's small rural towns. His CPA pal got caught for embezzlement from the Stuckey apartments. Hahaha
I loved traveling and stopping at stuckey’s when I was young.
Stuckyes has my heart. God bless you Stefanie. My wife has never heard of you. I pray some day I'll show her and thril my soul.
We always looked forward to seeng one. My Dad loved their Divinity Candy.People today have no idea how wonderful it was to see one as back in the 50’s ,and earlier, when there weren’t Fast food chains restaurants every 50 mile ,and good ,clean food was not a given but something you had to look for. When you saw a Stuckeys you knew you would find a clean place with good clean food.
In the Mid 70's, as a kid with my mom, doing the driving, My younger brother and I drove from New York to Salt Lake City, driving a Ford Pinto of all cars! Made it to a Stuckeys in Wyoming during a blizzard, the family running it pushed tables together for beds and let us sleep there and ride out the storm, until the road opened up later the next day, They never took a dime from us. I was just thinking of that memory recently when i seen this vid
One and only time I ever had the pleasure to visit a Stuckey’s was a trip from DC to Williamsburg, VA. I still have the coffee cup 30 years later as a memento from my first time visiting the eastern half of the country.
Thanks for sharing, hope you enjoy the video :)
Stuckey's was great!! A better time in America.
@@TomSmith-ls5rn yea. For White America. I love how we, as white people, indulge in this nonsense.
@@Bretski126 Lolol, do tell?
@@TomSmith-ls5rn I don’t know if you want me to elaborate or not. Can’t tell by your short comment. But, I was wondering, as an old dying 71 year old white man, did Stuckeys have private side entrances for people of color, like movie shows, back in the day. Could anyone eat at their lunch counter? So, let’s say, you are an American citizen and you are excluded from Stuckeys, because you ain’t White. How the hell is that some sort of nostalgic fantasy of America?
I saw a similar type film about Dairy Queen’s. An observant viewer noted the side window to serve Blacks. They were not allowed to use the front window. Also, the Green Book existed for Black travelers, because they had to be careful what routes they took. If not, they could be murdered without any form of justice, whatsoever. This is the nostalgia you long for?
When I was a stupid kid, the Globetrotters came to Traverse City, Michigan. The gym was filled with good old white people, high fifing and cheering the Black athletes. That night, no one let them stay in any of the hotels in the area, when there were plenty of rooms. They weren’t allowed in any restaurants. They ate bologna sandwiches and slept on the bus.
Is this the American Nostalgia you miss and crave? A white world that excludes everyone else because of some minor cultural difference, like skin color? No thanks. Cancel my subscription to your fucking American Dream.
I replied in about three paragraphs, but they didn’t post.
Back when "road trip" was known as a trip .
I miss this store it reminds me of when I was a little kid
Stuckey's & Howard Johnson's pretty much had things sewed up back in the day! Today, Bucees appears to be bringing that whimsy & nostalgia back with their brisket sandwiches & everything else under the sun! The one's that I've been to are like little roadside shopping centers with the cleanest restrooms I can remember! Still not the same, tough. Great video!!👍
Thank you so much for your kind words! It's great to hear about your experiences with Bucees. They do have a unique charm, don't they? What's your favorite thing to get when you visit?
@@ThoseWonderYears HA! Those brisket sandwiches! I like their variety of jerky & beef sticks! Their Buccee nuggets are addictive, too!
I don't think we ever stopped at a Stuckeys when I was growing up....but I knew they were there, they had billboards on the interstate about every 1/2 mile. "Exit in 5 miles for Stuckeys...get a pecan roll....or a burger....or a PB&J".
My mother said they put too much pepper on their burger patties.
Now, in 2024, we have Buc-Ees.
@@jrussellcase Buc-ee's is the bomb.
I remember stopping Stuckey Stores on my family vacations. 💜♥️
I am old now. I wish I could go to Stuckey's again. Those were wonderful times!
Thanks for sharing
This Stuckey's video really hit a nostalgic note for me-it's such a relaxing format that effortlessly transports me back in time. I thoroughly enjoy this kind of content, especially on lazy weekends. It's always a treat to watch videos from this channel and others like Rhetty for History. They do a fantastic job of making history come alive!
2 eggs with toast for 99 cents said the Stuckey's billboard and I would eat those eggs overeasy with dry toast and get two orders of them.
Would you add a side of bacon for an extra 99 cents too?
haha i remember that, good old times
You simply could not beat that
Stuckey’s was the Buckeye’s of its era. Children of divorce, traversing between San Antonio and Houston twice a year on I-10,, it was the Disney of the desert for us kids. There were matching stores at the same exit across from each other with the same green teal blue roof… stopped at one one-way and the other next on the way back. Back in the day nice upper middle-class car’s got 12 miles to the gallon and with the distance between those two cities, you had no choice but to stop somewhere. Daddy would spare no ((pecan based)) expense in the STORE while the car was being serviced and fueled. Thank you Stuckey families for those wonderful childhood memories.
That’s “Buc-ees”.😜🦫
What can be believed in this entertaining video? You told that Stephanie Stuckey is from Georgia and immediately showed a map of the country of Georgia…not the state!
As a family of 9 we could never stop at Stuckeys. We ate PB&J and bologna sandwiches at rest stops.
There's a Stuckey's a mile from my house in central Missouri. I stop in there regularly.
That's cool! Stuckey's has that nostalgic charm, doesn't it? What's your go-to treat when you stop by?
I remember every Stucky’s having a magic trick section. My parents liked rhe Pecan rolls and divinity candy. I liked the magic tricks. 😊
Thanks for sharing 😊
I had a family fall trip and it seemed a restaurant was not be had. Hey dad I could use a break, so we stopped in and they had a pecan on chocolate and apple juice in a glass bottle, so I had sweet and nutty. At this Stuckey’s they also had maps and my dad liked having a spare map. My dad lingered and got a snack too. It was simply nice to take a breather and enjoy the fall air.
Every summer our family would go on vacation to different places in our station wagon and camper in tow sometimes the mountains, sometimes the beach among other places and sooner or later we would get hungry and I would be in the backseat saying, "Let's go to Stuckey's!" but my dad never would go there he'd say we are making good time and will get a hamburger in the next town. So, there's my tell of woe I remember seeing many Stuckey locations but never stepped foot in one. Enjoyed the video, thanks!
I can remember growing up visiting Stuckey's in my younger life. I hope to see them again. 🥤😁👍🍫 on Route 66 . . . . .
I'm 76, when I first got married decades ago my wife & I used to spend the weekend driving down to Florida where her family had a condo that was used for family vacations. Instead of flying it was a great way to slow down our lives and enjoy taking the long trip from NYC to South Florida for a couple of weeks of warm weather to look forward to. We took our time traveling on the road, stopping off at either Howard Johnsons or Stuckeys to stretch our legs & grab something to eat. These places were always spotlessly clean & friendly & something to use as a landmark to figure out how much longer the drive would take until we reached our destination, before the internet & google maps was ever around. No matter how many times we took that same exact trip by car it was always an adventure to look forward to. I miss those long car trips on the open road, it was and incredible feeling of freedom to not have to worry about time & rushing to get to a plane & our destination.
Great memories thanks for sharing
As a trucker I’ve seen LOTS of old empty Stuckey’s it’s sad to see them in this condition they’re in now!! I hope they can make a comeback!!
@@jeffsmith-ze6wb on I-95? I seem to remember them being on almost every exit while driving with my family to Florida in ‘73.
@@jeffsmith-ze6wb There are a few on I-10 in south east Texas around Beaumont area.
This video could have been like 5 mins, if you did not keep repeating the sane thing over and over.
Traveling from Santa Fe nm to Cincinnati, I traveled with my mom, Stuckeys was the place to stop and rest, glance at the map on how far we have to go, yes getting funny things along the way, it was fun both ways, then after about 3 years later stuckeys stops shut down...😢 I have memories, and yes i miss Stuckeys... the american road trips simehow has to come back.
I remember going to Stuckey's. My parents and I would stop there on our way to Texas, Fort Worth. It's to bad that it's gone.
I loved Stuckey's, and the pecan rolls.!
Good Lord! This video makes Stuckeys sound like the greatest thing since sliced bread. I can definitely remember stopping at Stuckeys to get gas and browse the store. Once had a 99 cent breakfast at one in Arizona. But it was just one of many cool places to stop at.
I'm 69, and this reminds me of those pecan rolls when I was a kid.
I still see Stuckey’s in Georgia!
Thanks for sharing
Those ostriches filled with red water that would dip down as if drinking.
There are a few left.There is one in Chambers County,TX on IH 10 east of Houston.
Yeah ,I lived not far from it. I thought it had closed down years ago.
Growing up in the 1960’s, our family went on road trips during the summer.
Dad never stopped at a Stuckey’s.
I remember seeing the signs though…
@@wmalden That’s sad! We grew up as kids looking 4ward 2 the stops at a Stuckey’s on our vacations! Dad always drove! We never flew anywhere! Remember when? 👌👍❤️
Loved visiting Stuckies and the billboards counting down the miles. For the hundreds of times I stopped there, I never tried any pecan products.
Stuckey's the original Buc ee's!
You're Right!!
Stephanie gave an impressive presentation at Roanoke College for our faculty and students. She is certainly a transformational leader who is highly skilled with a vision for Stuckey's that hopefully will revitalize the franchise. I think most everyone has memories of stopping at a Stuckey's on vacation. Let's hope it is always with us.
Thank you for sharing
I'd love to see more videos like this one. It's exactly the kind of content I enjoy watching on weekends to relax and learn something new. Keep them coming!
Stuckey's surely was a special place.
Bart- dad can we stop at Flickeys?
Homer- no
Sign- next Flickey's 25,000 miles
I was one of the attorneys pursuing a FLSA class action against Stuckey's for failing to pay minimum wage and overtime.
I remember going with my cousin Jeffrey after hunting several deers. Oh god good times with my family there
I applaud Stephanie's efforts. Shes a cute gal too.
Those were the Buc-ees back in the old days.
I really loved this video! It was both nostalgic and insightful-really captured the essence of the brand. Great find!
On our way from Texas to Florida we saw some new Stuckey's so look for them.
I do remember seeing these on road trips, i was always interested in gas stations and the partnership with Texaco. There were others stops like this that had restaurants with other gas brands including Gulf, Sunoco, and the oasis stops in Illinois with Howard Johnson and standard gasoline. Great memories, thank you for posting this video.🇺🇸
Hope you enjoy it :)
some of the best memories I have of my late brother
was stopping at Stuckey's on our traveling Stuckey's
had the best hamburgers around I miss them
Wow, how crazy is this!!! I lived in New Jersey and was enrolled at Iowa State back in the 70's, so several times a year I would load up my 1974 ford Pinto, as well as a later used 1974 Mustang II, and drove the 1200 miles to school and back. I would take two days to do this trip most times, and I can remember stopping there, as it was one of the only places open to get gas as well as some snacks and go to the rest room. Even back then, I remember just how horrible those pecan rolls were!!!! But till this day, I can joke with people about this place, it did keep me on the road, and gave me a break from those long drives alone!!
Thanks for sharing :)
We used to love them as kids. And at last check, there was still two of the original location still standing abandon in Colorado. A similar establishment we had here in Colorado. It's called Nickerson farms. I remember driving out east of the Denver area with my dad as a kid to have breakfast. He used to call it the Sunday cruise :-) I think he liked to travel east of Denver, because he always had high performance vehicles and loved to open them up a little bit 🙂
I am now 74. I live in Southern Idaho. There are two Stucky's buildings along the interstate between Boise and Pocatello. The one near Boise is now some other company and the one near Burley, Idaho is abandoned. Every time I drive past it on the interstate I have fond memories of what used to be. The one near Burley has sat empty for years. It makes me feel sad. It looks so lonely sitting there falling into ruins.
My Mother was from Pocatello.
@@MisterMikeTexas Wow, Small world isn't it? That's awesome. 👍
@@Roger-vz7ol 🍻
Last time I stopped at one was in the late 90's in Kansas. There was one on 70 and working for the state and traveling, I stopped there. I remember finding the cheap Mexican Blankets you used to see everywhere and buying to protect the inside of my car as it was a "dog" car. It was always a feast for the eyes for kids growing up doing long camping trips with the parents. I still travel down highways we used to travel in the 60's early 70's and seeing "ruins" of places we used to stop at, restaurants, gas stations etc.
We bought a few of those pecan candies ,we used to call it "Stickys" because of the candy. My Dad said "No More!" after they got junkie there were 7 of us in a 1969 Dodge Custom Sportsman long wheelbase window van.
great story thanks for sharing
I remember Stuckey's in SC and GA from the 1950's very fondly.
This video is incredibly well-done. It really dives deep into the history of Stuckey's and how it became a road trip staple for so many families, including mine. Every summer, my parents would make sure we visited one, and it became a cherished tradition. It's heartwarming to see efforts to revive the brand and bring back those cherished memories. Here's hoping new generations will get to experience the joy of a Stuckey's stop!
As a kid growing up in the 60's and 70's we took riad trips often because of involvement in kids sports, always going to a baseball or hockey tournament somewhere throughout the central US.
I remember Stuckey's, Howard Johnsons and Nickerson Farms as the places we stopped at because they were family friendly. Truck stops back then just didn't want cars and people, and they were not nice places.
Unlike today where you have a Love's, Travel America, Flying J or Petro every 60 miles, it was more like every 120 to 150 miles for a family place to stop.
Stuckey's, HoJo and Nickerson Farms had their own thing about them. Stuckey's had the pecan rolls, HoJo had ice cream and Nickerson Farms locations had a bee hive at their locations that they made honey from and it was differen at each location.
Driving I-40 between CA and OK you can still see where the Stuckey's were, a lot are still open but under new names. There was an abandoned Nickerson Farms between Phoenix and Tucson for many years until sometime around 2015 it collapsed and the only remnant is the red roof that covered wherebthe gas pumps were.
Yooo! I remember it if it was yesterday! What a great time! My biggest cousin and used to go to Stuckey’s, loved it. Thanks for the video ❤❤❤
I'm 67, and I remember back in 1975, when we drove from here in Southern California all the way to Chicago. Stuckey's was EVERYWHERE once we left So Cal - and I mean EVERYWHERE - so naturally we stopped more than once or twice in each state along the way (see, Mom wanted to get a car window sticker for every state we went through). Quite yummy snacks, neat "stuff", and of course - you could gas up the car.
thanks for sharing :)
@@ThoseWonderYears I was watching this at the end, and a question struck me...I wonder if there are any Stuckey's left on old Route 66????
US301 had lots of Stuckey’s intermingled with the yellow roofs of Horne’s.
i remember going down rt 301 and stoping at any stuckeys
Thank you for sharing your memory! Stuckey's stops are always a fun part of any road trip.
Let’s be honest. The most important and welcome thing about Stuckey’s was the restrooms. Most folks ate elsewhere.
Pecan pie, tomahawks & slingshots. Next Stuckey's, 100 miles.
Great video! It’s so interesting to see how Stuckey's has evolved over the years but still keeps its charming retro vibe.
They sold a pecan nut roll (like a Payday) I loved. Last time I stopped there was in 1968 in Oklahoma in my 60' Vette on my way to report for the draft.
my Stuckeys memories involve how could their coffee be so bad? As my patronage was early seventies I believe the cost-cutting corporate owner you described post-sixties could easily explain my question and yours about What Happened to Stuckeys. Thank You for your efforts. You created a nice video.
Came to comment with my childhood anecdote, then the first couple of sentences in this video voiced my thoughts almost to the word. A very good video for me
Thank you, hope you enjoy it :)
Do a video on how they franchise these gas stations. Who owns the land? Some franchises are better opportunities than others. HoJo was once everywhere too. Stuckey has strong iconic branding and unique confections, but why not sell to supermarkets too? Would think candy that went out of business in the 1930's would be of interest in a Stuckey novelty store. Even McDonalds has a shrinking customer base. Quite a powerful brand.
Best milkshakes ever!!
I ate at Stuckey's once. The hamburger was awful. Must have been old hamburger. I kept quiet and did not return. The company died out some time later.
I remember that there was a Stuckeys restaurant on US 20 between Rockford and Freeport Illinois. It was long ago closed and repurposed to something else. I. Never stopped there though.Makes me wonder what they might have had in the Stuckeys in northern Illinois as souvenirs?🤔
2:22 "Eat here, get gas" 🚶♂️💨
Wow, the footage of the old Stuckey's stores really takes me back. My grandparents used to bring us to Stuckey's every time we visited them.
thanks for sharing your story hope you enjoy
I’ll stop at every Stuckey’s I can find. I’d rather take a road trip than fly anytime
thanks for sharing
Kids "pleading" with parents to stop?? Yes, you are right about that. Sheesh. Yes, they inspired memories. Some parents like mine regarded them as a "Tourist Trap" and would not stop there at gunpoint. But I managed to stop there a few times. The Pecan Roll Logs were pretty good. Big money buys them and runs them in to the ground. Of course, things had changed or the original operators would not have sold them in the first place. The interstate highway system is a GOOD thing, but it does not go through the little towns along the way. The Interstate system bypasses so many interesting things. Stuckey's took advantage of that, it seems they located in the most boing places as land was cheaper there and nothing else was on the road much but Stuckey's. Now we have super Truck Stops along the way. Then there is NO CHEAP LAND ANYWHERE NOW!! Affordable land is GONE forever in the USA. So, the young lady is really going to have to work at it to bring Stuckey's back. I wish her great success. BB
First you headed through the front door and immediately head to the back lefts side of the Stuckey's for the restroom. Then wander to front of the store. Always buying an extra Pecan log to take to the relatives you were going to visit.
thanks for sharing
Please ditch the AI written scripts I'm tired of hearing it repeat the exact same facts 8 and 10 and 12 times over!!! 🤨
I wondered if anyone else noticed. 😂
I was here to say the same thing. Blue roof ,adventure, alligator, regional stickey blah blah ,oh it's been a minute repeat again. 6 minutes in, and it was worse than our trip from Arizona to Alabama and back. Stuckey's overload. I guess Buckey's is the modern-day Stuckey's.
If I, a human, told you what I know about Stuckey, your computer system would totally break. It's already partially broke with placing fake maps. My confidant back in the 70s I knew grew up with Stuckey in Eastman.
I love this videos thanks for sharing
Remember this well!
Last fall we made a trip and our first stop was Tucamcari, NM. There at TP Curios they had some Stuckey's pecan rolls. I had to try one. Not very good at all. I remember 2 of the Stuckey's in Kansas. We never really stopped there on our trips as they were too close to home.
WE NEED TO BRING BACK AMERICA!!!!
Stuckey's are coming back, on I-10 to Florida there are several.
I remember the Peanut Brittle.
Stuckey’s were everywhere Like Cracker Barrel and Waffle House are today. As a teenager I remember many road trips to Tennessee and Kentucky and we always saw billboards advertising Stuckey’s. Amazingly, my family and I never set foot in a Stuckey’s! We had no reason not to do so nor a compelling reason to do so!
thank you for sharing
Great Video i loved it
That Georgia map at 11:59 is the Russian state of Georgia. What were you thinking?
AI narration apparently, AI included map apparently, repeated information over and over, is this channel all AI created? We are all doomed
It’s not a USSR state any longer. The current republic of Georgia has been independent 19:03 since 1991.
Stuckey's is now being replaced by Buc-ees.
USA nothing but nostalgia now; in 2024, the whole place is crumbling,
Oddly, the Stuckeys in Maui didn't burn. Lol
Still have them in texas
It's PUH-CON. Pee-can is for peeing in.
My parents and I stopped at a Stuckey's twice in the 1970s. I believe it was in Parker County, Texas off of I-20. I don't really remember much about it. But I don't think I was impressed. The chain was probably already going downhill. I don't remember a dining area, just pretty much gas and a gift shop.
nothing but a 20 min ad?
They were over priced on everything . Gas was always higher at Stuckey's then down the road or across the street
Buckiee's id doing the same thing. They were always cheaper on fuel, however they are now 2 to 3 cents a gallon higher then down the road. What they have going for them are clean restrooms
NAT STUCKEY - the counrty singer, related to his career, same 60s era ? O er
Oops, many of the Stuckeys you have shown in this video have mostly RED roofs!!