Buc-ee’s Close to World Domination with Possible New Store in Wisconsin
Texans have a lot of pride in their favorite road trip stop of Buc-ee's. The Texas based company started small with stores along the gulf coast of Texas in the 1980's. In the early 2000's, Buc-ee's started thinking bigger and began working their way north in Texas building the behemoth stores we are accustomed to now. The road trip stops began popping up in Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida with proposed new stores in Louisiana and Colorado coming soon. Buc-ee's seems to want to take over the United States and then the world. Proof of the Texas based company's takeover is a proposed store to be built in DeForest, Wisconsin.
A Lot of Pride in Buc-ee's from Texans
Buc-ee's is a company that a majority of, but not all, Texans take a lot of pride in. The company began in Texas and is still privately owned by Texas natives. They have restrooms so clean you could eat, or prepare, lunch in them. There are plenty of spots to fill up your car if the tank is empty. You can pick up some of the best snacks like Beaver Nuggets and beef jerky. The constantly rotating t-shirt designs make great additions to any weekend wardrobe. Buc-ee's is a lot of fun.
We're just now spreading the love into the rest of the world. - Buc-ee's Real Estate Director Stan Beard
Since the company's humble start in the 1980's, they have grown to be an often emulated road trip stop. How many gas stations along the interstate do you see offering great food, a plethora of unique snacks and a bunch of gas pumps? There are a bunch. One example is at Highway 271 and Interstate 20 in East Texas with a Texas Best Smokehouse attached to the Shell station there. Great barbecue mixed with huge selection of sweet treats and you can pick up some cool or vintage art work for your home.
Proposed New Store in Wisconsin
So its not surprising that Buc-ee's would make an attempt to take over the United States, and then possibly, the world. The latest proof of this is a proposed new store the company wants to build in DeForest, Wisconsin. Buc-ee's proposed the 74,000 square foot, 120 gas pump, 20 EV charging station behemoth to the city council February 23. Its not a done deal but it seems like it could become reality (mysanantonio.com).
City Council Questions
The city council asked some tough questions during this meeting. One question involved the thinking that Buc-ee's would take customers away from local businesses. Buc-ee's Real Estate Director Stan Beard answered that most people already know they're going to Buc-ee's when they get in the car. "If you want a can of Copenhagen and a Diet Coke fast, you’re not going to go to Buc-ee’s,” Beard said. Buc-ee's would also look at local food makers to sell their products there as they do at any of their other stores.
This northern takeover has a couple of more hurdles to get over before becoming a thing. There needs to be some improvements done to the proposed area of this new Buc-ee's by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the county and the city before a plan can move forward. Board members seem pretty excited about the possibility.
We shall see. Will Buc-ee's take over the world? That remains to be seen. It would be nice if Buc-ee's would fulfill the long rumored Lindale location before that happens.