New Destination for Drivers to Florida

If this sign does not get you excited, you don’t know what you are missing. Having a rodent as your mascot is always good in our book. Buc-ee’s is to gas stations as Walt Disney World is to amusement parks. Buc-ee’s holds two world records: The World’s Largest Convenience Store and  World’s Longest Car Wash.

Buc-ee’s was founded in Texas in 1982. The first two Buc-ee’s outside of the Lone Star State are now open for travelers on their way to Florida. The Alabama location is off I-10, and the newest store is in Georgia, south of Macon off I-75. Their first Florida location is planned to open in 2021, south of Jacksonville off I-95.

First off, Buc-ee’s is a gas station; a huge gas station with 120 pumps. Central Georgia typically has good gas prices. On our visit, regular gas was $1.539 per gallon. This was about 20 cents less than the surrounding gas stations.

Bathrooms

Buc-ee’s claims the cleanest bathrooms. As well as being clean, the bathrooms are big. Taking pictures in a bathroom is a bit weird. Below is the only picture I took. It only shows half of the bathroom.  The men’s bathroom has 12 urinals, 12 toilets, and 12 sinks. The bathrooms have their own dedicated cleaning crew.

The Store

If cheap gas and clean bathrooms don’t get you excited, the “convenient store” will. As with everything at Buc-ee’s, the store is not your typical convenience store. Their stores are 50,000 square feet, the size of a normal grocery store. Anything you expect to find in a convenience store can be found at Buc-ee’s with 10 times the selection.

Coffee

Buc-ee’s ranked the best gas station coffee based on a GasBuddy survey. The coffee condiment-bar has an almost unlimited options of syrups, creamers, and toppings.

Snacks

Buc-ee’s has all the candy and snacks you expect from a convenience store.

 

 

Buc-ee’s is most famous for their beef jerky and Beaver Nuggets.

 

Entree

Buc-ee’s has a full selection of sandwiches, tacos, burritos, and salads. As well as the freshly made grab and go items, there is a kiosk to order custom made items.

The star of the show is the Texas BBQ.

Bakery and Sweets

Buc-ee’s has an in-shop bakery and sweet shop. You can pick up fresh pastries, fudge, and roasted nuts.

A good video that covers and reviews several of the food options is posted below.

 

Other Stuff

Buc-ee’s does not stop with consumables. Anything that can have Buc-ee the Beaver printed on it is available. From underwear to outerwear you can have the Buc-ee version. They also have homewares with either a Buc-ee or Texas themes. If you need a fire pit, or smoker Buc-ee’s has you covered.

Staff

The store is well staffed. The staff is friendly and helpful. The company seems to respect their workers.

What Buc-ee’s is not

Buc-ee’s is not a truck stop. There are no pumps for commercial trucks. Buc-ee’s is not a restaurant. There are no tables inside or outside for dining.

COVID-19

The Georgia store just opened and it was crowded. Besides the store having signs stating the requirement of face masks, there were no enforcement efforts. Inside the store, there was about 90% mask compliance and no social distancing. The chaos and lack of COVID-19 safety measures were too much for my wife and son. Until the crowds die down, or COVID-19 spread decreases you may just want to stop for gas.

 

Have you heard of Buc-ee’s before? Would this be a place you’d like to stop on an upcoming drive to Florida? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.