It took Krista Marshall leaving home to appreciate the family business her parents, Danny and Diane Schatz, had built. 

“I grew up in the business my parents started in 1977,” Marshall said, speaking of her family’s Schatz Crossroads Truck Stop in Minot, North Dakota. After she graduated college, she spent several years working in high-end web technology and advertising firms before she and her husband decided to take advantage of “a great opportunity to move here and continue the family legacy,” she said. “My parents were happy to see the legacy continue to thrive.” 

The co-owner and operator of Schatz Crossroads since 2010, Marshall loves serving the local community and travelers who stop by the store and its restaurant for good food, good service and a good time. “We’ve been welcoming travelers and locals for nearly 50 years, and we pride ourselves on keeping everything in tip-top shape,” she said. 

Schatz Crossroads started as a small truck stop and gas station that Danny and Diane Schatz leased in 1977. They soon established a restaurant on site and turned it into a full-service truck stop. When the property across the street became available, the couple bought it and built Schatz Crossroads, operating both locations until 2002 when they closed the original leased store. In 1994, they also opened an additional Petro-branded truck stop in Fargo, North Dakota, about 230 miles away, which their daughter Deanne Savaleson now co-owns and operates.  

Marshall draws from the store’s long-standing history to serve customers in the community. “I’m continuing what my parents created,” she said. “There are generational challenges in all family transitions, and a learning curve for me as the second generation, but it’s been worth it to continue meeting the needs of our customers.” 

The truck stop’s signature feature is its full-service sit-down restaurant. It was already a local destination, and Marshall has left it untouched. 

Open 24/7, the restaurant serves breakfast around the clock and homemade pies, soups and specials. “A lot of truck stops have gone to fast food options but we prefer a different atmosphere,” Marshall said.  

Continue reading about Schatz Crossroads Truck Stop in the August 2025 issue of NACS Magazine feature “Building on a Family Foundation.”