How new Buc-ee’s openings are becoming a tourism event
The Buc-ee’s boom shows no signs of slowing. There are 58 locations across – mostly – the Southeast, with the next one opening in Murfreesboro on November 16. And there are many more on the way. Buc-ee’s location openings are becoming a tourism event. And during this summer’s World Cup, Europeans discovered the wonder that is Buc-ee’s and posted about it on YouTube, Insta and X. It has become a cottage industry.
How popular is Buc-ee’s? Some genius created a website – Road Trip Beaver. The site allows you to plan side quests to visit as many Buc-ee’s as you can on your trip.
Texas, as the birthplace of Buc-ee’s, and much of the South have been well aware of the Beaver for a long time. However, there are many places across the country where Buc-ee’s remains an exotic, unknown destination. So, when a new Buc-ee’s opens, a combination of curiosity and obsession leads to a certain Beaver fever. This makes a grand opening an event on the magnitude of a rock concert or a large sporting event. It’s pretty wild.
What is Buc-ee’s?
It’s a chain of massive convenience stores with a cult-like following. The locations are known for their massive size. For instance, the one in Sevierville has 120 gas pumps – and clean restrooms with a plethora of stalls. After years of picking some of the worst road trip bathrooms in the Southeast, the Buc-ee’s bathrooms alone would be enough to get my family off the road for a pit stop.
But more than the bathrooms and the gas pumps, it’s Buc-ee’s array of Beaver-themed merch, snacks and, yes, food that makes the Buc-ee’s stop a modern road trip staple across the South.
Many who haven’t been question the Buc-ee’s dining and snack options. That said, the truth is that we prefer Buc-ee’s food to most of the fast food options you might find on your journey. The BBQ sandwiches – fresh brisket on the board – are nice, as are the various Buc-ee’s burritos. There’s a good selection of pre-made sandwiches and more. I feel confident that Buc-ee’s could do very well just as a restaurant.
In addition, Buc-ee’s has its own line of specialty snacks. They include the sweet and crunchy Beaver Nuggets and a wall of Buc-ee’s branded beef jerky that is better than it has any right to be.
How did Buc-ee’s become so popular?
There’s a practicality to the guarantee of a plethora of gas pumps and ample – and clean – restroom stalls. But there’s also a novelty to the size of the place, the variety and quality of snacks and food options. And the opportunity to stretch your legs for a bit checking out the various merch options – including full-body Beaver mascot pajamas.
Even with today’s road trip conveniences of cell phones and mobile devices and satellite radio and more, a long road trip can get boring. Buc-ee’s, which is also famous for its pun-y billboards starting at 100 miles, gives road trippers a milestone to look forward to and a place to get out of the car for a few minutes. It breaks the monotony.
Even with its frequently large, chaotic crowds and a mascot beaver wandering around the store – or maybe because of them – Buc-ee’s can be fun and crazy. It is worth the lost time for the stop.
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Does Buc-ee’s have a location in every state in the Southeast?
Almost every state in the South that is east of Texas has one. Arkansas joined the club when Benton opened on August 17, 2026. The exceptions are Louisiana and North Carolina, both of which have Buc-ee’s locations scheduled to open within the next year or two.
Texas, of course, has the most Buc-ee’s – 37 of them – but there are four in Alabama, three in Georgia and two in Florida. The opening of the Ocala, Florida location has been pushed to 2029 or later. If you want to get out of the Southeast and Texas, there’s one each in Colorado, Arizona, Missouri and Ohio.
Buc-ee’s will officially get to the North when the Buc-ee’s location in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, south of Milwaukee, opens. That one is now targeting early 2028.
Why are Buc-ee’s openings fun?
Everything just gets ratcheted up. The crowds are huge and buzzing. Local officials and corporate representatives show up. You get to hear people yelling about fresh brisket on the board. At the opening in Sevierville, people were yelling along as if they were at a concert, singing their favorite lyrics. Finally, the people watching is excellent. It’s just a happening with a lot of excitement, curiosity and chaos. That may not be everybody’s thing, but it sure is mine.
Where are the next openings going to be?
We’ve mentioned a few of them. 2026 has been a big year: Goodyear, Arizona opened in June, San Marcos, Texas opened on August 12 and Benton, Arkansas followed on August 17. Buc-ee’s third Tennessee location – this one in Murfreesboro, not far from the Dolly Parton Tennessean Travel Stop as the crow flies – opens November 16, 2026. Kansas and Louisiana are both expected to get their first Buc-ee’s locations in 2027, in Kansas City and Ruston. The Buc-ee’s in Mebane, North Carolina – on I-85/40 between Durham and Greensboro – has been pushed back to 2028.
Georgia has a Buc-ee’s set for a 2027 opening in Monroe County. Gallaway, Tennessee (in Fayette County, near Memphis), St. Lucie, Florida and Boerne, Texas are also on the 2027 list. Lafayette, Louisiana is planned for 2028, and Oak Grove, Kentucky is further out.
A new location in West Memphis, just across the Mississippi River in Arkansas, has been pushed back to 2028 or later.