Cuzz's Travel Depot

BY CAROLYN DRINKARD

Cuzz’s Travel Depot on Highway 43, south of Thomasville, is the perfect stop for travelers. Whether you’re heading south to Alabama’s beautiful beaches, north to Tuscaloosa or Montgomery, westward to Meridian or eastward to Andalusia, Cuzz’s Travel Depot is “in the middle of everywhere," so it’s the ideal resting place for those wishing to refill and refresh.

Cuzz’s Travel Depot started to welcome visitors on October 1, 2022, and from the beginning, everyone realized that this was no ordinary convenience store. In fact, in one short year, Cuzz’s Travel Depot has redefined the concept of “c-store” to become a travel destination, popular with both locals and out-of-towners.

Cuzz’s Travel Depot is a subsidiary of Dozier Oil Company, the second oldest family-owned business in Thomasville. In 1955, Edward Vaiden, Frank and Jack Dozier started the business and incorporated it in 1956. As a full-service filling station, Dozier Oil quickly became popular for using the personal touch to serve customers.

Cuzz’s Travel Depot offers a little bit of everything you need to refill and refresh. A wide selection of grocery items are available.

In 1969, Ed Vaiden Dozier became the sole owner of Dozier Oil Company. His son, Mark Dozier, worked in the business and took over in 2006. Mark changed the name of the popular Thomasville gas station to “Cuzz’s Phillips 66”, a tribute to his late father, who was well known for calling everybody “Cuzz." For people all around Thomasville, that name also meant friendly service, excellent value and a positive customer experience.

Since taking over the business, Mark has brought in his family: wife, Sue; son, Chase; and daughter, Heather Dozier Scott. He has also added two more locations: Cuzz’s Highway 10 in Butler, AL; and the newest addition, Cuzz’s Travel Depot, on Highway 43, south of Thomasville. All three locations are truly third-generation family businesses, carrying on the tradition of using their personal touch to serve customers better.

Part convenience store, part restaurant, part grocery store, part pharmacy, part gas station and part rest area, Cuzz’s Travel Depot is all of these, and so much more. It is also an unanticipated oasis for discovery. Just step inside, and you will be pleasantly surprised. Every nook and cranny holds something exciting, and the decor was designed or built by the talented, close-knit Dozier family.

The Dozier family owns Cuzz’s Travel Depot, and they work together in this third-generation business. They designed and built most of the decor inside the store. (Front, l to r) Sue Dozier, Mark Dozier (Back) Heather Dozier Scott, Chase Dozier.

The first thing you notice inside is a massive light fixture, hanging from the ceiling to illuminate the interior displays. Mark and Chase built this beauty, using two culvert ends, fastened with gate connections. They placed a large chandelier inside to add warmth and character. (They also constructed a similar fixture in the Country Kitchen area.) Separating the “Suds and Sodas” section is an old planter barrel, cut in half to hold the face of “Buddy,” Mark and Sue’s beloved dachshund. The “Filling Station” sports an antique gas nozzle and hose from one of the original pumps at Dozier Oil Company. Sue and Heather designed and painted this delightful area with bold, bright colors and its own coffee-bean wall.

Expect the unexpected at Cuzz’s Travel Depot. For example, a large, fully connected conference room is here to hold meetings. While most C-stores do not carry fashionable retail items, Cuzz’s Depot does. After Heather Scott displayed trendy cups, bags, hats and jewelry in an eye-catching way, she turned to social media to get the word out. Now, her “small-scale gift shop” has became a success. Customers flock to Cuzz’s Travel Depot to get anything they need in a flash.

“If they ask for it, we try to get it,” Heather explained. “It’s convenient to pick up, and people like that!”

Another popular draw has been Heather’s candy carousel. Using antique candy jars, Heather sparked a dose of nostalgia when she transformed a traditional candy counter into a cutting-edge delight, featuring old-timey sweet treats and vintage toys.

Cuzz’s Country Kitchen serves delicious Southern favorites, like mac and cheese, fried green tomatoes, sweet potato fries and many other specialties.

There’s so much to check out here, but their food has been the talk of the town. When the Dozier family hired Hazel Burge to manage Cuzz’s Travel Depot, Hazel suggested they make Cuzz’s Country Kitchen into a restaurant, serving down home, country Southern favorites, like chicken and dumplings and sweet potato casserole. One year later, Cuzz’s Country Kitchen offers 20 different daily selections. Deli favorites, such as fried chicken, livers, gizzards and potato wedges are right there each day, as well as various flavors of wings and home-baked yeast rolls. They have “Seafood Day” each Friday, with catfish, shrimp, gumbo, etoufee, jambalaya, crab cakes, oysters, crawfish bites and many more favorites. Sundays bring in large, after-church crowds for homemade meals just like your grandmother used to make. The Kitchen opens at 5:00 AM each day with breakfast and closes at 8:00 PM. Guests have the option to dine in a spacious dining area or take out.

Cuzz’s Country Kitchen has other surprises, too. Hazel and her staff have turned the Kitchen into an excellent bakery, preparing custom-made, decorated cakes and cupcakes. They also create all kinds of party platters, dips and other tasty treats for special occasions.

Hazel Burge is the Manager of Cuzz’s Travel Depot. An excellent cook, she convinced the Dozier family to make Cuzz’s Country Kitchen into a family restaurant serving homemade southern favorites. Each day, Hazel posts a menu with 20 different selections.

For those in a hurry, food choices are unlimited. The “Open-Air Island” presents a variety of quick-pick homemade treats and snacks, sandwiches and salads, prepared daily at Cuzz’s Kitchen and replenished three times a day for freshness. Homemade pizzas are available 24-7. The “Filling Station” offers freshbrewed coffee, tea, fountain drinks, slushies and 40 different varieties of smoothies. During colder temperatures, guests can grab a cup of homemade soup, chili or “swamp stew," a local favorite.

Cuzz’s Travel Depot has easy access and ample parking. A large pet relief area is convenient for anyone traveling with fur babies. They offer clean, spacious restrooms and shower areas with full shower packs.

Cuzz’s Travel Depot has 26 fuel dispensers with all grades of gasoline. A full range of oil products are offered, as well as electric vehicle chargers. Amenities, like air stations and bulk ice, add to any traveler’s comfort and convenience. Cuzz’s Travel Depot accepts all credit cards, including the Phillips 66 card, which offers discounts on fuel each quarter. Their own Cuzz’s card is also available.

When you step inside Cuzz’s, the first thing you notice is a massive light fixture, hanging from the ceiling to illuminate the interior displays. Mark and Chase built this beauty, using two culvert ends, fastened with gate connections. They placed a large chandelier inside to add warmth and character.

In a clean, thoughtfully designed environment that is welcoming and pleasant to visit, Cuzz’s Travel Depot is an experience you won’t soon forget. The Doziers guarantee that once you visit, you will definitely come back.

“We cater to our customers,” Mark said. “We want people to feel comfortable enough to come here and get whatever they want!”

This third-generation family business has not only broken the mold for C-stores, it has also raised the bar for customer convenience, care and contentment. The future looks bright as Cuzz’s Travel Depot plans to expand and further enhance the Dozier family’s tradition of using the personal touch to serve customers better.

Sue Dozier and Heather Dozier Scott designed and painted the “Filling Station” area, which features an antique nozzle and hose from the original Dozier Oil Company.

BY CAROLYN DRINKARD