How this Texas Travel Center Built a Cult Following.
If you have ever interacted with someone from Texas, you will instantly recognize the amount of pride they have for the Lone Star State. As a native Texan, I could cite the countless reasons why I’m honored to call myself a Texan. You have two food categories where the state tops all others (BBQ & Tex-Mex). The largest state fair in the country. Next, there’s the passion around football starting with Friday Night Lights to America’s Team. In addition, you can’t forget the Alamo.
However, one thing shines above all others: Buc-ee’s. If you are from the Northeast, you may think you have been to the best gas station either Wawa’s or Sheetz. Sorry to break it to you, the brand with the friendly beaver as its logo reigns supreme. If you have never had the opportunity to experience Buc-ee’s firsthand you will have no idea why it is such a big deal for Texans.
On-road trips, Buc-ee’s is as much a destination as it is a pit stop. Of course, I have to mention the cheap gas, however, that’s only the beginning. Once you walk through the sliding pearly gates, you are greeted by the grandest travel center in the country. It has anything you could need for your road trip and so much more. Products range from typical snacks and drinks to home décor to seasonal branded merchandise. The company has even created their own snack, Beaver Nuggets, which are a must grab for any road-trip.
Buc-ee’s also truly lives up to the mantra that everything is bigger in Texas by holding two World Records. One for the longest car wash at 255 feet as well as being the world’s largest convenience store. To put it into perspective on how large their stores can be. The New Braunfels, Texas, location is measured at 66,335 square feet, more than 10,000 square feet larger than the White House.
While the majority of Buc-ee’s are located in Texas, over the last few years it has begun expanding its presence into other starts. Currently, there are travel centers in Texas, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia with eventual sites in Tennessee as well as both Carolinas.
Stepping away from what Buc-ee’s provides at each location, the positive impact that a new travel center has on the community is astonishing. At a recent groundbreaking of the first location in Florida near Daytona Beach, the Governor of Florida decided the occasion was important enough to attend. This is in large part due to the economic benefits that one travel center makes to the region. In a recent economic study, an evaluator determined that in the first year of operation Buc-ee’s can generate nearly $2 million in tax revenue for the state and local governments.
Even though Texans are passionate about everything that makes Texas what it is. Few things top their love of Buc-ee’s.s