According to New Kent County Economic Development, Buc-ee’s Travel Center will expand their operations to New Kent County, Virginia at the exit 211 interchange along Interstate 64. The company plans to construct a 74,000 SF store with 120 fueling positions, 557 parking spaces, 24 Tesla charging spaces and 10 bus/RV parking spaces. The anticipated opening date for the Virginia’s first Buc-ee’s is 2027 with additional Virginia locations planned for the future. According to BizJournals, “Buc-ee’s has identified multiple Virginia sites for potential stores, including one on the I-81 corridor and another on I-95 north of Richmond, bringing the chain ever closer to Greater Washington.”
According to the company, “Buc-ee’s Travel Center is a family-focused travel center featuring a wide range of freshly prepared foods including home-crafted bbq, custom made sandwiches, fresh salads and fruits, baked goods, and sweets as well as a unique collection of gifts, housewares, clothing, and weekend get-away gear. Buc-ee’s is open 24/7 and provides our guests with the cleanest restrooms and friendliest staff to be found anywhere; much less on I-64. Buc-ee’s is not a truck stop; 18 wheelers are not allowed on the property. Buc-ee’s is a one-of-a-kind destination. Buc-ee’s will employ (full time with benefits) over 175 residents earning an average minimum wage of $16-18 per hour”.
Founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin opened his first store as partners in Clute, Texas in 1982. Aplin formed the name Buc-ee’s by combining his childhood nickname; the name of his Labrador Retriever, Buck; as well as the appeal of Ipana toothpaste’s animated mascot, Bucky the beaver. In January 2018, Buc-ee’s broke ground on its first location outside of Texas, in Baldwin County, Alabama. It has since opened over 50 locations in many states across the country.