With support from the UGA Small Business Development Center, Stephanie Stuckey is rebuilding the nearly 90-year-old brand her grandfather founded.
The Original American Road Trip Stop
For generations of American families, a Stuckey’s sign on the highway meant it was time to pull over. Founded in 1937 by W.S. Stuckey Sr., Stuckey’s was the first roadside retail chain in the country, a highway oasis offering a hot meal, a tank of gas, clean restrooms and a shelf full of kitschy souvenirs.
At its peak in the 1970s, the company operated over 350 stores in 40 states. It ran its own candy plant, distribution facility and trucking fleet, along with a billboard company that placed 4,000 signs along America’s highways. A road trip was not complete without Stuckey’s signature pecan log roll.
The founder eventually sold the company, and after decades of outside ownership, the brand declined. Stores closed, and many of the iconic buildings were left empty along the roads they once anchored. By the time Stuckey’s came up for sale, only about a dozen original stores remained.
A Call to Come Home
Stephanie Stuckey had built her career in public service. She served for many years as a Georgia state representative, practiced as an environmental lawyer and led sustainability efforts for the City of Atlanta. Then, seven years ago, she received a phone call: The company her grandfather had started was in distress and up for sale.
Stuckey invested her own life savings to bring the family business back. “It has been fun, but it’s been really hard,” she said. “Anyone who runs a small business knows that.”
From Roadside to Retail
With only a handful of stores left, Stuckey knew the brand needed a new way to reach customers. She moved the company into manufacturing and shifted its focus from the roadside to the retail shelf.
“Businesses are all about making changes, and that’s the beauty of being a smaller business,” she said. “You can be a little more nimble.”
Today, Stuckey’s produces flavored pecan snacks and candies and sells directly to retailers ranging from independent mom-and-pop shops to larger chains, with partners such as Food Lion and Bellews Market. Sales have grown from $2 to 8 million. The company works hand-in-hand with Georgia pecan growers and shellers to bring fresh, Georgia-grown products to market. Pecans are the only snack nut native to the United States, and Stuckey proudly calls them “the patriotic nut.”
Stronger Together
Not long after she took the helm, Stuckey received another phone call, this time from Steve Newton, a consultant with the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (UGA SBDC) in DeKalb County. Newton knew her father and had read about her plans for the company.
“He just called me one day and said, ‘Hey, I know your dad. I read about what you’re doing. How can I help?'” Stuckey recalled.
Stuckey is quick to credit the network of people behind the brand’s revival. “We could not do this without the support of SBDC, without our customers, without those retailers that sell our product, without the growers,” she said. “It’s a whole network, and it’s a network of other small businesses.”
That network reaches well beyond a single company. Every bag of Stuckey’s pecans supports Georgia farmers, shellers and the independent retailers who stock them, keeping dollars and jobs in American communities. In the 1970s, Stuckey’s built community one roadside stop at a time. Today, it is rebuilding that community through partnerships.
“The entrepreneurial journey can be very lonely,” Stuckey said. “But you’re not alone.”
Her advice to new business owners reflects that same spirit:
- Build a small, deliberate network of personal advisors who are truly on your side.
- Watch your cash flow closely
- Treat every hard situation as a chance to learn something.
Looking Ahead: Celebrating 90 Years of Stuckey's
As Stuckey’s approaches its 90th anniversary in 2027, the company is positioning itself for its next chapter. Stuckey’s is moving its manufacturing to a facility operated through a joint venture partnership, a change that will reduce overhead and strengthen the business for long-term growth.
Technology is part of that plan. Stuckey already uses AI for production planning and is exploring how it can streamline inventory management next. “If you’re not using AI, you’re way behind the curve,” she said.
From its first roadside stop in 1937 to today’s store shelves, Stuckey’s has always been part of the American story. With a committed entrepreneur at the wheel and the right advisors in her corner, that story is far from over.
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