Up to 30 people could be hired to fully staff the operation off I-5’s Exit 21; convenience store first to open, followed by several fast-food services

By Tony Boom for the Rogue Valley Times

The new Talent Travel Center has begun round-the-clock operations that aim to attract locals, travelers and truckers.

Located off Interstate 5 at Exit 21 on West Valley View Road, the business replaces the old Talent Truck Stop, which closed in 2010 but offered some big rig fueling services beginning in 2018.

Gas has already been flowing at the new passenger vehicle site at the travel center, and the convenience store opened on Friday. Fast-food operations inside the new 8,225-square-foot main building were due to begin Jan. 30.

Paving work remains to be done at the big rig diesel refueling operation, located on the back half of the 4.15-acre site. The refueling is located where it was before, next to an original building, which will be used for truck washing and mechanical repairs once the operation is fully staffed.

The business will initially have seven or eight employees but, when complete, there will be about 30, said Nav Saroya, chief executive officer of owner of Saroya and Sons LLC of Tacoma, Wash.

“At a certain point, it gets to be about how many people we can support,” Saroya said.

As Talent rebuilds from the Almeda Fire and adds more housing, Satoya said he hopes to offer employment to returning and new residents. Two of his employees come from a nearby manufactured home park that burned in the fire, he noted.

Once diesel fueling begins, business should be split about evenly between truckers, locals and travelers, Saroya said. When the truck side is fully operational, that will likely be 45% to 50% of the business. The company has three gas stations and three hotels in Washington, but Talent is its first venture in Oregon.

Saroya; his father, Chris; and an uncle were busy at the site Thursday getting ready for the Friday opening. They met with suppliers, told potential customers who came in that they weren’t opened yet and performed last-minute tasks.

“It’s pretty much all family,” Saroya said.

A sunny, spacious dining area sits next to kitchen facilities for three fast-food services that will be available. Those include Chester’s Chicken, Hangar 54 Pizza and an Asian vendor yet to be selected. The vendors also will offer breakfast items.

A convenience store features a variety of items for travelers. Beer, including local varieties, will be available. The store will also have vaping, e-cigarette and tobacco items.

Saroya hopes to have paving of the truck area accomplished within 45 days to allow big rigs to use the high-speed pumps that are now located there. Recruitment is underway to bring in qualified mechanics who can provide services for the trucks. It may take up to six months to equip and staff the repair facility.

Talent Travel Center also has its own dedicated repair vehicle that can be dispatched to assist broken-down big rigs. The practice is common in the industry for combined fueling and service centers, Saroya said.

When opened, there will be about 15 spots where truckers can park to sleep. That will expand to 50 as the rear of the property is developed. There will be showers in the truckers’ building as well as three shower rooms in the new center building.

Paul Singh, who formerly managed a Sinclair gas station in Ashland, has been hired to help with management of the new operation. Saroya has worked with Talent police and planning department officials as he opens the business.

Chris Saroya and his wife opened a gas station in North Tacoma, where Nav and his brother worked in the business. The station started a tradition of giving free coffee or soda drinks with an eight-gallon purchase that continues at all their stations.

The company is looking for expansion opportunities in Oregon, Utah and Northern California, Nav Saroya said. They had hoped to find a site for both a travel center and hotel before travelers head over the Siskiyous. A hotel in Talent may yet be a possibility, Saroya said, but he won’t start looking at potential locations until the new center is up and running.

Talent Truck Stop operations that included fueling, vehicle washing and maintenance ceased in 2010, and the Talent Truck Stop Restaurant, where the new building sits, closed the same year.

In 2017, a new property owner from Bend proposed development of the site for a travel and truck stop and hotel, but nothing came of that plan. In May 2017, Talent voters approved a 3-cent-per-gallon diesel fuel tax in anticipation of site development.

Truck refueling resumed at the site in 2018 when the owners reopened the old building with a small convenience store.

A3 Development LCC then acquired the property and began development of the new building and site early last year. Outlier Construction was the primary contractor. A3 is known primarily for developing and then selling projects, Saroya said.

Reach Ashland freelance writer Tony Boom at [email protected]. This story first appeared in the Rogue Valley Times.