Dolly Parton — beloved for not just her music, but also her style, her philanthropy and her advocacy — is a jewel of the South. And on June 24, the iconic Tennessean teamed up with a lesser-known but nevertheless locally beloved gem: the Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville.
Now rebranded as Dolly Parton’s Tennessean Travel Stop, the roadside business has been a travelers’ landmark for more than 50 years.
Dolly Parton at the grand opening of the newly rebranded Dolly Parton’s Tennessean Travel Stop, June 24, 2026
The new-look roadside stop opened with a bang Wednesday, with Parton herself present to cut the ribbon and share a few words — even offering a comment about famous travel stop chain Buc-ee’s. “I’m sure some of you wonder why I wanted a truck stop,” Parton told attendees at Wednesday’s event. “Well, I couldn't leave it to beavers. I had to throw my squirrely little self in there.”
Parton shared that she wants the location to focus on the truckers, because she knows from her years of touring how difficult life can be on the road. She wanted to make spaces for them to come and feel like family.
Hundreds of fans showed up to the grand opening, which featured live music, a lunch and dinner buffet, free samples and a lot of Parton-themed merch — cookware, baby clothes, albums and more. Basically, anything Parton could put her face or a butterfly on, she did.
And I wanted to buy all of it.
On a personal note, I’m an area native, and my parents and grandparents have long frequented the Tennessean. When I finally got my driver’s license, I became a regular too, visiting the Tennessean for gas, candy and greasy pizza. But in June 2021, the beloved travel stop was hit by a kitchen fire that destroyed its main restaurant. After a long rebuilding and remodeling process, the Tennessean reopened in January 2024.
Now the Tennessean Travel Stop begins a new chapter. The Middle Tennessee landmark has evolved a lot from what it was 50 years ago, but I hope families will continue to discover and appreciate it the same way my family did — now with a special boost from Dolly Parton.
