Buc-ee's, the Texas-based travel center chain beloved for its Beaver Nuggets and oversized convenience stores, is aggressively pushing into new territory—but the rollout is proving uneven. Currently operating in only a dozen states, the company has a slate of grand openings planned through the end of the decade, though construction timelines have slipped for several locations.
In April, Buc-ee's marked its debut in Ohio with a store in Huber Heights that generated over $1 million in sales on opening day. The town's mayor told Nexstar's WDTN that the revenue may have set a company record for a first-day launch. That momentum is fueling plans for additional first-in-state locations.
Imminent Openings
The next milestone is a late June opening in Goodyear, Arizona—the chain's first in the state. Later this year, Arkansas is set to welcome its inaugural Buc-ee's in Benton, with an August target confirmed by a company spokesperson. Other firsts are expected in 2027: Wisconsin's Oak Creek location is aiming for April 2027, Louisiana's Ruston store for mid-2027, and Kansas City, Kansas, for sometime next year. North Carolina's first Buc-ee's, in Mebane, is now slated for the fourth quarter of 2027, pushed back from an earlier projection of late 2026 or early 2027. Local reports indicate additional stores are planned across the Tar Heel State.
Meanwhile, several states are awaiting their newest Buc-ee's. A Texas location in San Marcos is scheduled to open in July. Next year, travel centers in Monroe County, Georgia; Lafayette, Louisiana; and St. Lucie and Tallahassee, Florida, are on the calendar.
Delays and Setbacks
Construction delays have forced timeline revisions. In Oak Grove, Kentucky, local reporting suggests the store may not be complete until 2027 or later. Similarly, the Murfreesboro, Tennessee, location has been pushed to May 2027, according to Nexstar's WREG. Two Arkansas projects—one in Fayette County near Memphis and another in West Memphis—have also slipped. The Fayette County site is now targeting May 2027, nearly a year past its original summer 2026 target. West Memphis has been delayed to June 2028, two years beyond its initial timeline. In Florida, Ocala residents will have to wait until 2028 for their Buc-ee's. A handful of other locations are expected to open in 2029 or beyond.
Buc-ee's noted that constructing a travel center typically takes 18 to 24 months once ground is broken. The expansion comes as the chain capitalizes on its cult following, but the pace of growth underscores the challenges of scaling a large-format retail concept across state lines. For politics-minded readers, the expansion pattern reflects broader economic trends: Buc-ee's is planting flags in Sun Belt and Midwest states where population growth and interstate traffic are strong—regions that have also seen shifts in political dynamics, such as Southern GOP states rushing to redraw maps after a Supreme Court ruling. Meanwhile, the company's ability to navigate local permitting and construction labor markets mirrors issues seen in other sectors, like health emergency readiness across states.
As Buc-ee's fans eagerly await new locations, the chain's slow-but-steady approach suggests that even a beloved brand must contend with the realities of development timelines. The next few years will test whether Buc-ee's can maintain its momentum—and its legendary opening-day sales figures—as it ventures into less familiar territory.
