Buc-ee’s, the Texas-based gas station and convenience store chain with a loyal following, is accelerating its expansion across the U.S. Known for its massive travel centers that offer much more than just fuel and snacks, the company is aggressively expanding beyond its traditional Southern footprint. This move into new areas marks a significant growth phase for the privately held company.
The pace of new store openings and groundbreaking projects demonstrates the company’s strategic intent to become a more widespread roadside offering. This growth is changing the travel landscape along interstate highways, bringing the unique Buc-ee’s experience to more travelers than ever before. With construction crews actively underway in multiple states and new stores opening recently, the chain is on track to its ambitious national goals.
The enthusiasm for these new stores is palpable, with customers often flocking to the stores hours before they open. This high level of public interest underscores the strong brand loyalty and anticipation that Buc-ee’s has fostered. As the company moves forward with its expansion plans, it continues to solidify its position as a major player in the travel center industry, redefining where to stop on the road.
1. **Buc-ee’s Ambitious National Vision**: The cult chain is actively preparing for more than a dozen new large-scale travel centers. These planned development projects could push the company toward a major milestone: more than 70 stores in 17 states by 2027.
The 2027 vision highlights an intense period of development and investment. Each new location requires a lot of capital and planning, involving everything from site selection to obtaining local approvals and infrastructure needs.
2. **The Current Landscape**: As of recent reporting, the company operates 54 stores in nine states. The existing network provides a solid foundation for anticipated expansion, demonstrating a strong track record of opening and managing large travel centers outside of Texas. The experience gained in these initial expansion states may inform future strategies for expanding into new regions.
In addition to its operational footprint, Buc-ee’s has recently opened stores in Mississippi and Virginia, and opened a third store in Georgia. These new store openings signal the company’s continued expansion momentum, bringing the brand to new customer segments and increasing its visibility on major travel routes. These new stores are a key step in building a broader national network.
3. **Marking the Debut in Mississippi**: Mississippi celebrated the opening of its first Buc-ee’s store, which officially opened its doors to visitors near Gulfport early Monday morning. Located in Harrison County at the Menger Avenue exit on Interstate 10, the new store has quickly become a key tourist destination in the region, attracting visitors from all over the Gulf Coast eager to experience the brand.
The first travel center in Mississippi is massive, covering 74,000 square feet. The store features a range of amenities designed to handle high traffic, including a large forecourt with 126 gas pumps and 24 electric vehicle charging stations to service a variety of vehicles. The store also features 165 restrooms, highlighting its emphasis on cleanliness.
4. **Pushing the Northern Boundary in Virginia**: Buc-ee’s wave of expansion continues as it opens a store near Harrisonburg, Virginia, on June 30. The store, located just off Interstate 81 in Mount Crawford, marks a geographic milestone for the chain. The 74,000-square-foot store is the company’s largest location to date in the North, further expanding its operations along the East Coast travel corridor.
The Harrisonburg store offers travelers along a major interstate the full range of services and products for which Buc-ee’s is known. The strategic location is designed to attract interstate traffic, including travelers who may be driving from places like Wilmington to Baltimore or Washington, D.C., where they will see signs indicating how close they are to a Buc-ee’s store.
5. **Deepening Roots in Georgia**: On July 1, just one day after debuting in Virginia, the third Buc-ee’s in Georgia opened in Brunswick. The new store is the largest in the Peach State and further solidifies Buc-ee’s presence in Georgia. The Brunswick store is located at 7156 Highway 99, off Interstate 95 Exit 42.
The grand opening celebration for the Brunswick store attracted a lot of public attention, with many customers waiting in line hours in advance to be the first customers in the store. Customers were excited to explore special items such as the famous beef jerky selection wall and were excited about the new large store located near their homes or on major transportation routes. Getting a free T-shirt was also a highlight for early customers.
6. **Laying the Foundation in Arkansas**: Construction is underway in several states, including Arkansas, where Buc-ee’s is preparing to open new stores. In Benton, the state’s governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, highlighted the importance of the project, calling it the company’s “largest groundbreaking ever.” This shows the scale of the planned facility and the government’s support for its development.
The Benton Travel Center is expected to cover 75,000 square feet. The store is expected to be completed and open in 2026. Committing to building such a large store from the beginning shows the company’s high confidence in the development potential of the Arkansas market and its ability to support the operation of Buc-ee’s large stores.
7. **Expanding Presence in the Midwest: Ohio and Tennessee**: Buc-ee’s is also moving forward with its expansion plans into the Midwestern market. Ohio is one of the slated locations for its first store. The first store is currently under construction in Huber Heights. Although originally scheduled to open earlier, the opening has been pushed back to spring 2026 due to delays in the utility connections required for the site.
Further south, Tennessee is another state where Buc-ee’s is actively expanding into multiple stores. The city of Murfreesboro plans to open its Travel Center in 2026. The project is part of a broader initiative to promote the Buc-ee’s brand along major routes in Tennessee to serve travelers passing through the state.
