Big Boy's celebrates 30 years in business

BY MIKE BOLLINGER

KENLY — Thirty years ago, Walter “Big Boy” Powell Sr. took a chance. That chance has turned into a thriving truck stop, convenience store and restaurant business just off Interstate 95 on Bagley Road.

To show appreciation for the longtime customers that have made the business what it is today, Big Boy’s is holding a 30th Anniversary Family Fun Day Saturday, Nov. 13, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Jami Powell, Walter Powell Sr.’s granddaughter and one of several family members who work at the business, said the event will begin at 8 a.m. with a car show.

“We’re doing that because Granddad has always been into trucks and cars. He has always enjoyed racing,” Jami said.

“The purpose of customer appreciation day is for us to thank the community that has remained faithful to us throughout the years. The ramp (off Interstate 95) was closed for two years due to construction and locals and truck drivers drove through the country to get to us,” she continued.

At 10 a.m., students from Jennifer’s Dance Academy in Kenly will perform, followed at 11 a.m. by another dance performance, this one from Artistry in Motion of Smithfield. At noon, there will be a magic show by Magic by David. From 1-3 p.m., the bluegrass band Shannon Baker and Sometime Soon will perform.

Throughout the day, there will be bouncy houses for children, a monster truck, horse rides and fire and police vehicles on display as well as several food trucks and local vendors. An Xfinity NASCAR driver will make an appearance and there will also be face painting and balloon twisting. A DJ will provide music.

“We just want this to be a fun day for families,” Jami said.

Powell Sr. was born in 1939 on his family’s farm in Lucama. He was one of a set of twins, and became known as “Big Boy” because he was the larger of the two twins. The smaller twin was called “Little Boy.”

“Our home place was a two-room little house with a kitchen. My mother and father raised my five sisters and I in that small house on our family farm. Farm life teaches you to take chances and work hard if you wanted to find success,” Powell Sr. said in written remarks provided to Johnston Now. “Everyone in our community knew me growing up as ‘Big Boy.’ I have always tried to helpful to others and I have always loved people.” “Big Boy” opened his first gas station in Lucama in 1972, under the Phillips 66 brand. “I leased the building and it went well,” he said. In 1975, he moved to a larger station across the street under the Exxon brand. The larger facility had room for oil changes and repairs. “During those years, Highway 301 was the route for people going north and south. It was a busy time,” Powell Sr. said.

In 1977, he found a station to rent in Selma just off Highway 70 and Interstate 95. “I was on a larger highway and had hopes for more business. This is where I began to see the trucking industry flourishing,” Powell Sr. said. “The chance I took worked out well.”

He said the most amazing thing about his business is no matter where he was located, he had great customers and friends. Powell Sr. said he always tried to get to know people and he enjoyed the most when people would get to know him.

“I had a reputation as a friendly and helpful person. People chose to do business with me. I didn’t and don’t take that lightly even today,” he said. “Your customers are important and you can’t have a business without them. I was there for about 14 years. It was a family business from the start. My sons both helped me until they went into the military.”

One of those sons, Walter Jr., is now president of the company. He started in 1992 after leaving the military.

In 1991, the present Big Boy’s location was empty due to bankruptcy of the previous owners. At that point, it was time for Powell Sr. to take another chance.

“Mr. Frank Holden Sr. of First Citizens Bank came to me at the location I was renting in Selma. He drove me over to take a look at the place and to ask me if I thought I could run it. I was astonished,” he said. “I told Mr. Frank I thought I could, but I didn’t have any way to finance the amount they were asking. He told me not to worry, that he would take care of that part.”

Holden and First Citizens loaned Powell Sr. $1 million to buy the location. “I was excited and scared to death. I borrowed everything I could from my sisters and family to come up with startup capital and we opened in November 1991.

We are currently celebrating 30 years at this location,” Powell Sr. said.

“It has been a family operation ever since we opened,” Powell Jr. said.

At present, there are six family members involved in the operation.

One of those who was instrumental in getting Big Boy’s started in its present location was Norman Richardson. “He opened the restaurant for Dad. He was a big influence in the operation. He really helped Dad with the food service and provided behind the scenes support and networking,” Powell Jr. said. “Dad knew about the fuel and convenience store part, but Mr. Norman knew about the food service. His family was a big support for a lot of years.”

Wanda Powell, Powell Jr’s wife, said one of the major changes in the business over the years came with the introduction of computers. “When it originally started, everything was done by hand.

The bookkeeping, billing and inventory were all manually done,” Wanda said. Jami said when the restaurant originally opened, there was a phone at every booth for truck drivers to use. There was also a phone room so drivers could call their families and arrange loads. “It was a much simpler time back then,” Powell Jr. said. “We’ve had to change with the times, which isn’t always good.”

The food service part of the business has also seen several changes, Wanda said. She said a much larger percentage of business is “to go” now and the restaurant is no longer open 24 hours. “We would usually fill up through the night. Drivers don’t have time to kick back in the restaurant like they used to,” she said. “We used to have a buffet we were known for on the highway. Things have changed so much that part of it is no longer profitable.”

“We are looking at getting EV chargers for (electric) cars. It’s an ever-changing business for sure,” Jami said. “Nonethanol fuel has been the big thing over the past five years.”

Some of the changes, Powell Jr. said, have come because of additional government regulations. “Every time they make a change, they always create issues for businesses,” he said.

“This has been extremely hard for independent businesses. We have to figure it out on our own,” Jami said.

At present, Big Boy’s has about 40 employees. “We’re kind of short-staffed right now,” Wanda said.

She added the family operation at Big Boy’s has instilled work ethic in her children. “My children have learned how to work. They learned that sometimes you have to work more than 40 hours a week to produce things sometimes,” Wanda said. “It’s kind of like generations before on the family farm.”

Jami said in the future, she would like to see Big Boy’s become involved in having food ordered through smartphone apps. “I’d like to see us be available in the community in that way. I think that will be important going forward,” she said. “That can actually increase awareness of the truck stop and convenience store for us to be able to deliver goods from there to customers as well. We need to figure out the right spot to land as an independent business and what we can provide. We need to be confident in the direction we go in because we can’t take as much risk as a chain business.”

“I’m a low risk taker,” Powell Jr. said with a smile.

Over the past five years, the truck stop has been refurbished and an addition has been added. Plans are to add more showers.

Powell Jr. recognized several employees who have been instrumental in the success of Big Boy’s. He said Jesse Barnes worked at the facility when it was built in the 1970s and came to work when Powell Sr. reopened it. “He came back when Dad opened it back up. Dad helped him get a driver’s license and a truck. He was instrumental in keeping things personal with customers. He loved talking to people,” he said.

He also noted that Mary Jeffries has worked there since Powell Sr. opened the business and Judy Evans, who was there when it was originally built, worked until retiring about two years ago. In addition, general manager Angela Capps has been at Big Boy’s for about 30 years and night supervisor Debbie Aycock has as well.

“We’ve had many longterm employees. We have several now who have been here for 10 to 15 years,” Wanda said.

“Big Boy has made a living. He has made a living out of being a people person. He has developed personal relationships. We have tried in our generation to maintain and further that,” Wanda said. “He’s so humbled by it. He’s always been about taking a chance. He’s been through good times and bad times.”

“The local community has kept us afloat for the past 30 years,” Powell Jr. said.

Powell Sr. said seeing the business grow and having his family involved has made him happy. “God has been good to our family. Both my sons have worked with me and my grandchildren have as well. When my great-grandkids come around, it makes me happy that we have built a legacy,” he said. “We have a great staff who understand that enjoying and knowing your customers and being helpful to people are the company’s building blocks. We genuinely care for our customers. Thirty years strong in this one location has been a great joy to see.”