History of Buc-ee's in Timeline

Buc-ee's is an American chain of large country stores, gas stations, and electric vehicle chargers founded in 1982 by Arch "Beaver" Aplin III and headquartered in Lake Jackson, Texas. Beginning with its first travel center in Luling, Texas, in 2003, Buc-ee's became known for its large size, extensive selection of goods, and clean restrooms. The company began expanding outside of Texas in 2018, opening locations in Alabama and several other states. Currently, Buc-ee's has stores in ten states with plans to open locations in ten more.

1982: First Buc-ee's Store Opens

In 1982, Arch "Beaver" Aplin co-founded the first Buc-ee's store in Clute, Texas, combining his nickname and his dog's name, Buck, and inspiration from Ipana toothpaste's mascot.

1982: Buc-ee's Founded

In 1982, Buc-ee's was founded in Clute, Texas, near Lake Jackson, marking the beginning of the Buc-ee's chain of country stores and gas stations.

2003: First Buc-ee's Travel Center

In 2003, Buc-ee's established its first travel center in Luling, Texas, south of Austin, expanding its business model.

2012: New Braunfels Travel Center

In 2012, Buc-ee's opened its largest travel center in New Braunfels, Texas, which was the largest convenience store in the world at 68,000 square feet and it also had the "Best Restroom in America" as named by Cintas.

2012: Cintas Award

In 2012, Buc-ee's received the Cintas award for "Best Restroom in America", recognizing the cleanliness of its bathrooms.

2013: Lawsuit Against Chicks

In 2013, Buc-ee's filed a lawsuit against "Chicks" for trade dress violations, alleging they copied Buc-ee's store designs, but the case was settled out of court.

December 2014: Frio Beaver Lawsuit Settled

In December 2014, Buc-ee's settled a lawsuit out of court against "Frio Beaver," which agreed to stop using a similar beaver logo.

June 22, 2015: First DFW Location Opens

On June 22, 2015, Buc-ee's opened its first location in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in Terrell, Texas, marking further expansion in Texas.

September 2015: Corporate Operations Move

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

March 8, 2016: Possible Louisiana Location Announced

On March 8, 2016, Buc-ee's announced plans for its first store outside of Texas in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, expected to open in early 2017.

May 23, 2016: Second DFW Location Opens

On May 23, 2016, Buc-ee's opened its second location in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the 32nd location in Texas, situated in northern Fort Worth.

October 4, 2016: Baton Rouge Plans Canceled

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

2016: Choke Canyon Lawsuit Filed

In 2016, Buc-ee's sued "Choke Canyon BBQ" for copyright infringement and trade dressing due to its logo resembling the Buc-ee's logo.

April 12, 2017: First Florida Location Announced

On April 12, 2017, Buc-ee's announced plans to open its first convenience store and gas station outside Texas in Daytona Beach, Florida.

2017: Lawsuit Against Bucky's

In 2017, Buc-ee's filed a lawsuit against the Nebraska-based chain "Bucky's" for breaking an agreement, but the lawsuit was thrown out.

2017: Employee Retention Case

In 2017, Buc-ee's lost a Texas Employee Retention Agreement case on appeal, with a court reversing the decision to award damages to Buc-ee's from a former employee.

2017: Canceled opening in Louisiana

The Buc-ees location was expected to open in early 2017, but the plans were canceled.

February 5, 2018: Melissa Store Established

On February 5, 2018, Buc-ee's established a store in Melissa, Texas, located off New Davis Road and U.S. Highway 75.

May 2018: Choke Canyon Lawsuit Resolved

In May 2018, Choke Canyon BBQ lost a federal lawsuit to Buc-ee's and changed its logo to a cowboy inside of an orange circle.

October 29, 2018: Third DFW Location Opens

On October 29, 2018, Buc-ee's opened its third location in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex in Denton, Texas.

2018: Expansion Outside Texas

In 2018, Buc-ee's began expanding outside Texas with a location in Baldwin County, Alabama, marking the start of its multi-state presence.

2018: Daytona Beach Construction Begins

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

April 29, 2019: Melissa Store Opening

On April 29, 2019, the Buc-ee's store in Melissa, Texas, officially opened to the public.

2019: Aplin's Family History

As of 2019, founder Aplin's grandparents resided in Harrisonburg, Louisiana, near where his father was born, providing historical context to his background.

2019: Lawsuit over Pump Prices

In 2019, shortly after opening a store in Alabama, Buc-ee's was sued for "setting unfair pump prices" by selling gasoline for less than its cost, violating Alabama state law.

2020: Texas Snax Founded

In 2020, Chris J. Koerner founded Texas Snax, one of the largest dedicated Buc-ee's resellers, after not receiving a response from Buc-ee's about a partnership.

February 23, 2021: St. Augustine Location Opens

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

March 22, 2021: Daytona Store Opens

On March 22, 2021, the Daytona Beach Buc-ee's store opened, further expanding its presence in Florida.

November 2021: Tesla Superchargers Announced

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

2021: Daytona Beach Opening Delayed

In 2021, project delays pushed back the construction date for the Buc-ee's in Daytona Beach, Florida.

February 2023: Operational Superchargers

As of February 2023, Tesla Superchargers were operational at more than half of the planned locations.

June 26, 2023: Sevierville Store Opening

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

2023: Cease and Desist Letter

In 2023, after Buc-ee's beaver and Hatsune Miku crossover artwork became popular, Buc-ee's sent a cease and desist letter to the artist creating "Bucsune Miku" stickers, leading to their removal.

January 2024: North Carolina Store Announced

In January 2024, Buc-ee's announced plans to open its first store in North Carolina, continuing its expansion across the United States.

June 10, 2024: Luling Store Expansion

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

June 2024: Largest Buc-ee's Location

As of June 2024, the largest Buc-ee's location is in Luling, Texas. The chain is known for clean bathrooms and its mascot, with a policy against accommodating 18-wheelers.

July 2024: Buc-ee's Car Washes

As of July 2024, Buc-ee's has car washes available at ten locations, and the Katy, Texas location holds the record for the longest car wash in the world.

April 2026: Buc-ee's Locations

As of April 2026, Buc-ee's has 55 active locations across Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.