That didn’t take long

Not in parking but the size of the buildings if they could have filled all spaces with the vendors that they hoped for. Their parking area was a lot smaller but the square footage of the building was enormous.

 

Fundamental flaw in thier business plan.

They needed drivers to get out of thier trucks and spend time and money on the provided amenities. Those days are gone,; refrigerators, microwave, tvs and wifi. Not going to spend money in a restaurant, nor play tourist, when you have most of the amenities in your truck.

 

That's why I miss those "good old days". Either day cabs or sleepers I always used the parking, showers, sit down restaurants, CB shops, fueling and occasionally the stores for gifts, trinkets and snacks. If you think that a truck stop is just for free parking, nothing is for free. If you don't spend any money eventually they will go away.

 

That place sucks too.

 

In my 44 years od OTR I never stopped at Iowa 80 and was always curious about it. The wife and I were on a trip to the Midwest and we decided to stop and check it out. We not impressed at all with the size of it, the feel of a tourist trap, and the crowds of 4 wheelers and tourists clogging every area inside and outside.
Now granted it has just about anything you could want for gifts or your truck but just too tacky. The restaurant was even very crowded and not for us.
The best part of Iowa 80 was the Truck Museum. Such a huge collection of very different types of trucks and trailers. We were impressed with the collection. The semi trucks inside the chrome shop were neat too.
Overall it was huge but not impressive as we do prefer the smaller more personal Mom & Pop style truck stop even though there are fewer than before.

 

The restaurant is actually “okay”. Never seen the museum.

The bio-blend fuel they sell is garbage and yes it’s basically an overpriced tourist trap. I drive right by the place. Nothing along 80 in IA it NE is really that great IMO and don’t even really care for that drive.

 

Iowa80 had a whole different vibe before they tore down the old building and replaced it with that tourist trap building they have now.

 

Iowa 80 never used to be filled with 4-wheelers. It was a good place for a driver to sit down for a real meal, while doing his laundry, and maybe get a haircut as well. Drivers from companies would run across others they hadn't seen in a while, and the lounge was worth visiting. The Iowa 80 was the sort of place you tried to get to when you had an extra half-day to kill....

 

I know when we stopped there a herd of tourists were bunched at the front door to take pictures near the big sign. Once inside there was a mad house in the store with people buying souvenirs and gawking at the "large cars" in the chrome shop. Not for me.

 

Just the number of restaurants it claimed it would have told me it wouldn't last long at all. Not to mention, that area isn't a good one. There are a lot of dope fiends in Gainesville. I never stopped there, I don't even know how the trucks that did stop there got in or out. I am not surprised though it didn't last, not in the least.