Dive Brief:
- Buc-ee’s broke ground on a travel center in Mebane, North Carolina, on Wednesday, according to a company press release.
- The site — Buc-ee’s first store in the Tar Heel State — is expected to have a 74,000-square-foot store as well as 120 fueling positions, according to the press release. It’s expected to open in 2028, according to Buc-ee’s website.
- North Carolina joins the growing list of states that Buc-ee’s added to its footprint since 2019. This groundbreaking will be followed by the opening of Arizona’s first Buc-ee’s on June 22, according to a post from the city of Goodyear.
Dive Insight:
Buc-ee’s has been spreading its super-sized c-stores across the country over the past several years. This newest groundbreaking is along the south side of Interstate 40 on Trollingwood-Hawfields Road, following the company’s tendency to locate stores in open areas along major travel arteries.
The exit already has one location from Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, as well as a Pilot travel center. While Buc-ee’s does not allow trucks in its lots and will not compete for that market, its latest site could eat into the passenger vehicle share for those nearby competitors.
Stan Beard, Buc-ee's director of real estate and development, noted that the site is in the “best location possible."
The store will feature Buc-ee’s regular assortment of items, including snacks like Beaver Nuggets and fudge, as well as a fresh food menu that includes barbecue, kolaches and more.
Texas-based Buc-ee’s opened its first c-store outside the Lone Star State in Alabama in 2019. Since then, the retailer has added locations in Colorado, Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia. Work is underway on stores in Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin, Arkansas and Louisiana.
The first Arkansas store is also expected to open later this year, along with additional stores in Texas and Tennessee, according to the company website.
