It has been a long time coming for Mark “Yogi” Welborn to open a business on Highway 24 in Russellville, but it is finally time, as ground has been broken on the new project Welborn said he hopes to have open by Labor Day.

Welborn said the latest Yogi’s Food Co. will be a 24-hour truck stop with a 24-hour deli, a liquor store and showers available. The store will be 5,000 square feet – the largest he has opened to date.

“I couldn’t live without finally building something there,” Welborn said. “I think Russellville is about to start expanding east, and I want to be in the beginning stages of that.”

The new location sits at the intersection of Highway 24 and Walnut Gate Road, directly across the street from John Blackwell Sports Complex, Sloss Lake and the future home of the Russellville Splash Pad.

Welborn said he has owned this corner lot for about three years, with plans to make the new Yogi’s location the only truck stop along Highway 24 from Mississippi to Decatur. The addition of the new red light on Highway 24 at Walnut Gate Road and Lawrence Street helped cement his plans.

“The red light is going to be very beneficial,” Welborn said. “I was very excited to see that the city was finally able to get approval from the state for that. Getting that really felt like everything was falling into place.”

Excavation has begun on the property, and Welborn said he hopes to see construction move quickly so the store can open by his goal of Labor Day.

Welborn said this will be his largest project to date, and he excited about all of the things to come.

“It has been a painstaking process at some points, but it is really rewarding to see the vision coming together,” Welborn said.