History of Buc-ee's in Timeline

Buc-ee's is an American chain of large format country stores and gas stations founded in 1982 by Arch "Beaver" Aplin III, headquartered in Lake Jackson, Texas. Known for its exceptionally clean restrooms, extensive selection of snacks, food, and merchandise, and a large number of gas pumps, Buc-ee's began expanding beyond Texas in 2018. It now has locations across the South and plans to continue expanding throughout the United States. Buc-ee's is also known for its beaver mascot and consistently high rankings in customer satisfaction.

1982: Buc-ee's Founding

In 1982, Arch "Beaver" Aplin III founded Buc-ee's in Clute, Texas, marking the beginning of the country store, gas station, and electric vehicle charger chain.

2003: First Buc-ee's Travel Center

In 2003, Buc-ee's expanded and opened its first travel center in Luling, Texas, marking a significant milestone in the company's growth.

2012: Cintas Award for Best Restroom in America

In 2012, Buc-ee's received the Cintas award for "Best Restroom in America", recognizing its commitment to cleanliness and customer experience.

2012: "Best Restroom in America" Award

In 2012, the New Braunfels Buc-ee's location was awarded the "Best Restroom in America" by Cintas, highlighting the chain's commitment to cleanliness.

2013: Lawsuit Against Chicks

In 2013, Buc-ee's filed a lawsuit against "Chicks", a convenience store in Bryan, Texas, for trade dressing, alleging the store copied Buc-ee's mega convenience store designs and layout; the case was settled out of court.

December 2014: Settlement with Frio Beaver

In December 2014, Buc-ee's settled a lawsuit out of court with Texas-based convenience store chain "Frio Beaver", which agreed to stop using its beaver head logo.

June 22, 2015: First Dallas-Fort Worth Buc-ee's

On June 22, 2015, Buc-ee's opened its first location in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex in Terrell, Texas, expanding its presence in the region.

September 2015: Corporate Operations Move

In September 2015, Buc-ee's announced that at least part of its corporate operations, specifically the legal and human resources departments, would move to office space at Pearland Town Center.

March 8, 2016: Possible First Location Outside of Texas Announced

On March 8, 2016, Buc-ee's announced a possible first location for a store outside of the state of Texas in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

May 23, 2016: Second Dallas-Fort Worth Buc-ee's Opens

On May 23, 2016, the second Buc-ee's in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, the 32nd location in Texas, opened in Fort Worth, near Texas Motor Speedway.

October 4, 2016: Plans for Baton Rouge Location Canceled

On October 4, 2016, Buc-ee's announced that the plans for the Baton Rouge, Louisiana location had been canceled.

2016: Lawsuit Against Choke Canyon BBQ

In 2016, Buc-ee's sued "Choke Canyon BBQ", another Texas convenience store, for copyright infringement and trade dressing related to their logo.

April 12, 2017: First Florida Location Announced

On April 12, 2017, Buc-ee's announced it would open its first convenience store/gas station outside of Texas in Daytona Beach, Florida.

2017: Lawsuit Against Bucky's

In 2017, Buc-ee's filed a lawsuit against "Bucky's", a Nebraska-based convenience store chain, for breaking an agreement to limit expansion to their respective states; the lawsuit was thrown out.

2017: Employee Retention Agreement Case Lost

In 2017, Buc-ee's lost a Texas Employee Retention Agreement case on appeal, where a court reversed a decision ordering a former employee to pay damages for breaching a "retention agreement".

2017: Expected Opening in Baton Rouge

The Buc-ee's location in Baton Rouge was expected to open in early 2017, but plans were canceled on October 4, 2016.

February 5, 2018: Buc-ee's Established in Melissa, Texas

On February 5, 2018, Buc-ee's established another store in Melissa, Texas.

May 2018: Choke Canyon Lawsuit Resolved

In May 2018, Buc-ee's won the federal lawsuit against Choke Canyon BBQ, resulting in Choke Canyon changing its logo.

October 29, 2018: Third DFW Buc-ee's Opens

On October 29, 2018, the third Buc-ee's location in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex opened in Denton, Texas, further expanding the chain's presence in the region.

2018: Expansion Outside of Texas

In 2018, Buc-ee's began expanding outside of Texas with the opening of a location in Baldwin County, Alabama, marking the beginning of its national expansion.

2018: Construction Begins in Daytona Beach

In the summer of 2018, construction began on Buc-ee's first location outside of Texas, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

April 29, 2019: Melissa, Texas Store Opens

On April 29, 2019, the Buc-ee's store in Melissa, Texas, opened to the public, located off New Davis Road and U.S. Highway 75.

February 23, 2021: St. Augustine Store Opens

On February 23, 2021, the Buc-ee's location in St. Augustine, Florida, opened, marking the first Buc-ee's store in Florida.

March 22, 2021: Daytona Beach Store Opens

On March 22, 2021, the Buc-ee's store in Daytona Beach, Florida, opened, following delays in the project.

November 2021: Tesla Superchargers at Buc-ee's

In November 2021, CleanTechnica reported that Tesla would be opening Superchargers at 26 Buc-ee's locations in 7 states.

February 2023: Operational Tesla Superchargers

As of February 2023, operational Tesla Superchargers were available at more than half of the planned Buc-ee's locations, including sites in Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

June 26, 2023: Sevierville Location Opening

On June 26, 2023, the Buc-ee's in Sevierville, Tennessee opened, becoming the world's largest convenience store at 74,707 square feet.

2023: "Bucsune Miku" Controversy

In 2023, crossover artwork of the Buc-ee's beaver and Hatsune Miku trended on Twitter. An Austin-based artist created "Bucsune Miku," leading Buc-ee's to issue a cease and desist letter regarding the stickers and use of the beaver logo.

January 2024: First North Carolina Store Announced

In January 2024, Buc-ee's announced the opening of its first store in North Carolina, expanding its presence in the Southeast.

June 10, 2024: Luling Location Expansion

On June 10, 2024, a new Buc-ee's store in Luling, Texas, opened, replacing the original travel center and becoming the world's largest convenience store at 75,000 square feet.

June 2024: Largest Buc-ee's Location

As of June 2024, the largest Buc-ee's location is in Luling, Texas. Buc-ee's is known for its cleanliness and its mascot. Buc-ee's doesn't allow 18-wheelers at its locations.

July 2024: Car Washes Available

As of July 2024, Buc-ee's has car washes available at ten of their locations with seven in the state of Texas, one in Alabama, one in Tennessee, and one in Florida at the Daytona Beach location. The longest of these in Katy, Texas, holds the record for the longest car wash in the world at 255 feet.