The Buc-ee's Phenomenon
The Buc-ee’s Phenomenon:
How a Gas Station Chain Achieved a Cult Following
Timothy Fay
Why Write a Book About Buc-ee’s?
People get excited about the mere mention of a convenience store chain: Buc-ee’s.
Buc-ee's has grown from a "Texas thing” just a few years back to a retail powerhouse now found in nine states and counting. Buc-ee’s now has stores in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, and of course. Texas. The chain plans to open stores soon in Arizona, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. On their first visit to Buc-ee's, nearly everyone is impressed with the size of the gas stations, the cleanliness of the stores (especially the bathrooms), the friendliness of the employees, and the tastiness of the freshly made food. The cleverness of Buc-ee’s marketing (old-school billboards “guiding” you to the next location with corny puns) is also a plus. Hence, the cult following.
Eighteen-wheelers are not allowed at Buc-ee’s. But voracious fans are.
Join me in this non-Texan’s (or perhaps “pre-Texan’s”) guide to the Buc-ee’s phenomenon.
WHAT BUC-EE’S IS:
Buc-ee’s IS: A retailer with a cult following.
The cleanliness of the locations, the size of the locations, the tastiness of the food, and the eye-catching souvenir selection are attractive for both new and repeat customers. The old-school feel of the Buc-ee’s logo — a grinning beaver wearing a ball cap — adds to the appeal. You could probably describe Buc-ee's as “what would happen” if Disney entered the gas station/convenience store business.
Buc-ee’s IS: A phenomenon.
Buc-ee’s has experienced amazing growth since the year 2001 when the company began opening its gigantic “travel center” locations. Unlike many retailers, Buc-ee’s opened new locations during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The largest Buc-ee’s store is over 74,000 square feet, about the size of four or five medium-sized drug stores. Not too long from now, you will probably be able to drive from Daytona Beach, Florida (an existing location) to the Fort Collins, Colorado area (a planned location), stopping for gas and barbecue only at Buc-ee’s!
Buc-ee’s IS: A place where you can hear an employee say on a walkie-talkie: “He's over at the kolache station.”
You won't hear that at many other retailers. Kolaches are eastern-European fluffy-dough stuffed pastries. These treats are stuffed with either sweet or savory fillings. A favorite is a kolache stuffed with “dirty rice” and sausage. Some compare kolaches to the familiar “pig in a blanket” (croissant or other pastry stuffed with sausage). Kolaches were brought to Texas in the 1800s by Czech immigrants, and the treats have been popular in the Lone Star State ever since!
Buc-ee’s IS: The record holder for the world’s longest car wash.
Buc-ee’s car washes are quite a production. But, when witnessed alongside the seemingly endless gas pumps, some hardly notice how massive the car washes are. The longest Buc-ee’s car wash is about 30 miles from Houston at the Katy, Texas location. The car wash has a conveyor of 255 feet — nearly as long as a football field.
Buc-ee’s IS: A godsend for road trippers.
Snacks, drinks, clean restrooms, fun souvenirs. A rest stop big enough for you to look around and stretch your legs for more than a minute or two… and enjoy yourself (many say) while looking at the clever souvenirs. Plus a seemingly endless row of ice-bag freezers.
Buc-ee’s IS: A money-making (private-sector) business that provides rest stops.
You wouldn’t be wrong to think of Buc-ee’s as a private-sector company that provides highway rest stops — which are normally provided by the state highway department in most areas. It would be fun to know if highway departments plan the building and spacing of their rest areas “around” Buc-ee’s locations.
Buc-ee’s IS: A retailer where you can find the “Wall of Jerky.”
Many Buc-ee’s locations feature a “wall of jerky” with dozens of varieties of jerky (strips of dried, usually salted meat). Varieties of jerky for sale at some locations include Mesquite Peppered Beef Jerky, Cherry Maple Beef Jerky, and Ghost Pepper Beef Jerky! A favorite: “turkey jerky.”
UP NEXT: What Buc-ee’s is NOT.
We’ve told you some about what Buc-ee’s IS. In the next episode, we’ll talk about what Buc-ee’s is NOT, which is probably even more revealing about the Buc-ee’s story. For instance, Buc-ee’s is NOT publicly traded. Buc-ee’s is NOT a place where you can sit down. No dining area, no chairs, no benches. And Buc-ee’s is NOT found in West Texas (yet).
Chapter Two:
WHAT BUC-EE’S IS NOT:
We’ve told you quite a bit about what Buc-ee’s IS. Now we’ll talk about what Buc-ee’s is NOT, which says even more about the Buc-ee’s story.
Buc-ee’s is NOT publicly traded.
You can’t buy shares of “Buc-ee’s stock.” The company is privately held by a small number of investors and is not publicly traded. Co-founder “Beaver” Arch Aplin III, in an interview with CBS News in the early 2020s, said that not having to answer to shareholders gives the company more freedom to focus on the customer. In other words, Buc-ee's doesn't need to worry about the Wall Street money crowd “milking” the company.
The privately-held status of Buc-ee’s is a trait that Buc-ee’s shares with another retailer with a very loyal following: Trader Joe’s. Trader Joe’s grocery store chain is also a privately held company.
Buc-ee’s is NOT just a Gulf state phenomenon.
Just a few years ago, Buc-ee’s had locations only in Texas, Alabama, and Florida (all states with Gulf of Mexico shorelines). The chain has since expanded to Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina and Tennessee. Buc-ee’s plans to open stores soon in Arizona, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. The Missouri store was the first store outside of an area that could be called the “Greater Southeast.”
Buc-ee’s does NOT have locations in West Texas.
Though founded in Texas and for decades a Texas-only phenomenon, Buc-ee’s still, as of early 2024, has not opened any stores in west Texas. Instead, its stores are in Central Texas, East Texas, and states outside Texas. In its early years, Buc-ee’s existed only east of the “Pine Curtain”: Texas slang for a “dividing line” between woodsy East Texas and the much drier West Texas.
You can drive to Amarillo, Texas. And you can get there by morning. Up from San Antonio, for instance. But there won’t be a Buc-ee’s when you get there — at least not yet — as of early 2024. As a matter of fact, that would be a pretty good subject for a country music song. Lamenting the fact that there are no Buc-ee’s stores in west Texas. A sad song indeed.
Buc-ee’s is NOT what most would consider a grocery store or supermarket.
You can buy all sorts of snacks, sandwiches, beer, baked goods, and barbecue at Buc-ee’s. But you probably wouldn’t go to Buc-ee’s to buy eggs, butter, flour, or fresh vegetables. In fact, Buc-ee’s claims some of its locations are the world’s largest convenience stores.
At most of its larger locations, Buc-ee’s is NOT a place where you can buy lottery tickets.
Again, separating itself from the crowd of routine convenience stores, most Buc-ee’s locations do not sell lottery tickets. This policy is in keeping with Buc-ee’s (mostly) family-friendly and wholesome atmosphere. A question for the readers: Does this suggest an opportunity for a competitor to open a modest convenience store selling lottery tickets across the street from a busy Buc-ee’s location?
Buc-ee’s is NOT a “general purpose” retailer like Target or Walmart.
You wouldn’t go to Buc-ee’s to buy a microwave oven or a bicycle. Perhaps instead, you probably would go there to buy all sorts of outdoor gear.
Buc-ee’s is NOT a sit-down restaurant. Not even close.
All the food at most large Buc-ee’s locations is “to go.” This results in some makeshift arrangements for travelers. Some eat Buc-ee’s sandwiches in their vehicles. Some eat standing around their cars in the parking lot in a “quickie” tailgate arrangement. Some eat standing around in the store (apparently frowned upon by Buc-ee’s employees).
Buc-ee’s is NOT a place where you can sit down. Period.
There is no sit-down dining. There are no chairs inside the store. There are no benches near the entrance. In fact, lawn chairs and beach chairs for sale at Buc-ee’s have signs warning patrons that the items are for display and that customers should seek “employee assistance” if needed. In other words, “Don’t sit down!"
You can buy chairs at Buc-ee’s — you just can't sit in 'em. This raises an interesting question. What would Buc-ee’s employees do if you bought a folding chair at Buc-ee’s, unfolded it, sat down in it, and began eating a brisket sandwich in Buc-ee’s?
Some speculate that the "no-seating" policy is because Buc-ee's is in the gas station business, not the sit-down restaurant business. Another consideration is that some customers might park their car at the gas pumps and then go inside Buc-ee's and enjoy a leisurely meal — if Buc-ee’s was a sit-down restaurant. Buc-ee’s appears to be preempting “sit-down” visits, which would tie up the gas pumps.
Of course, there is one place where you can sit down at Buc-ee's—the ultra-clean restroom stalls.
Buc-ee’s is NOT a place that sells propane.
Hank Hill, the main character of the Texas-based TV comedy King of the Hill, would be happy to know this—less competition for his employer in the popular animated TV comedy series. Hank sold “propane and propane accessories.”
The Buc-ee’s website does not explain why the company does not sell propane. However, many competitor convenience stores do.
Buc-ee’s is NOT a truck stop.
Eighteen-wheelers (large "tractor-trailer" truck combos) are not allowed at Buc-ee’s as customer conveyances. This policy probably adds to the appeal for “four-wheeler” customers.
The “no eighteen-wheelers” policy has resulted in a nearly inevitable trend: drivers of such big trucks simply park across the street (often an access road) and then stroll to Buc-ee’s for their favorite barbecue and “energy drinks.” And they probably also use the restroom while they’re there.
Buc-ee’s features nostalgia-themed gifts in its souvenir and apparel section, but it does NOT overwhelm customers with the nostalgia theme.
Buc-ee’s does not overwhelm — or turn on the “nostalgia fire hose.” This approach differentiates Buc-ee’s from the popular restaurant chain Cracker Barrel. The gift section at Cracker Barrel seems to induce nostalgia overload.
FAST FACTS ABOUT BUC-EE’S
Buc-ee’s was founded in 1982 by Don Wasek and Arch “Beaver” Aplin III. Aplin often appears at the “grand openings” of new Buc-ee’s locations, wearing a Western-style hat.
Some Buc-ee’s locations have up to 120 fueling positions (pumps) and hundreds of parking spaces. The recently opened Sevierville, Tennessee Buc-ee’s location reportedly has 128 fueling positions.
Buc-ee’s is well known for these homemade items: fudge, sandwiches, a wide variety of baked goods, burritos, brisket, and roasted nuts.
Buc-ee’s has headquarters in Lake Jackson, Texas, about 50 miles south of downtown Houston.
This marks the end of the special Reedsy preview of:
The Buc-ee’s Phenomenon.
Thank you. For more details, please see the book on Amazon.
