Why People Are Nuts for Buc-ee's

Long expanses of open road are a traveler's dream. That is until theirgas tank gets lowor they need a bathroom break. Then most stop at a convenience store. But pitstops atBuc-ee's, are like nothing else you'll encounter on the road.

These giant roadside convenience stores and gas stations areofficially the world's largest(more on that in a minute) and required stops if you drive by one.

Even if you're not on a road trip, a trek to Buc-ee's is a worth it. When the Buc-ee'sopened in Adairsville, Georgia, northwest of Atlanta in August 2021, people piled in their cars just to visit. A year later, Atlantans are still making the journey to "experience" this enormous store filled with endless snacks, made-to-order meals, a gift shop and clean bathrooms. Yup, the bathrooms are part of the draw.

History of Buc-ee's

Buc-ee's is the brainchild of Arch Aplin III. He and his business partner Don Wasek opened the first location in 1982 inClute, Texas. It was about 3,000 square feet (278 square meters). Three years later, they opened the second Buc-ee's — this one was 6,000 square feet (557 square meters). And things just kept growing from there (in size and numbers).

Today there are 35 stores in Texas alone, and in 2019, Buc-ee'sexpanded beyond the Lone Star State's borderwith stores now in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and plans to continue expanding.

As we mentioned, Buc-ee's is not just any convenience store. They're loved by the locals and people passing through. But why? For one, they have all the fuel you need:beaver nuggets(caramel popcorn), Texas-style brisket sandwiches, tons of fresh jerky, kolaches, drinks and of coursegas pumps galore. And you can browse the collection of t-shirts, hats, blankets, mugs — you name it — all emblazoned with Buc-ee the Beaver.

Buc-ee's Bathrooms

And about those bathrooms. They've been named thecleanest in America.Texas Monthly reportedthat the 56,000-square-foot (5,202-square-meter) Bastrop, Texas, location has 71 toilets and urinals and a team whose only job is to clean them 24 hours a day! Now that's dedication.

The bathroom award isn't the only one Buc-ee's can claim. It also slid its way into the Guinness World Records — not once but twice. The first was for thelargest convenience storefor its New Braunfels, Texas, location (it's 66,335 square feet/6,162 square meters). To put that in perspective, the square footage of the average convenience store is约3225(299 square meters). And the second is for thelongest car washwith a conveyor (255 feet/77 meters) at its Katy, Texas, location.

So why the name Buc-ee's? And what's the deal with the beaver mascot that's the symbol of every location? According to Texas Monthly, Aplin'snickname was Beaverwhen he was a kid, after the cartoon beaver that appeared in theIpana toothpaste commercialsthat ran before he was born. The nickname stuck. He also attended a high school that had a Buccaneers mascot, thus inspiring the name and spelling. When he set out to open his first convenience store, he commissioned the logo of "Buc-ee the Beaver," and the rest is history.