Dive Brief:
- Buc-ee’s is seeking approval for a second Louisiana convenience store, a spokesperson from the planning division of the Lafayette Consolidated Government confirmed on Monday. The company is also working on a site in Ruston.
- The company is also looking to expand into Oklahoma, according to a local news report from KHOU, which spoke to Buc-ee's General Counsel Jeff Nadalo. No prospective sites have been officially confirmed in that state.
- Buc-ee’s continues to be one of the most aggressive c-store companies when it comes to pushing into new markets.
Dive Insight:
News of the Lafayette site follows last year’s reveal of plans for a Buc-ee’s in Ruston. Ruston mayor Ronny Walker said last month that a December 2025 or Q1 2026 opening for the site is likely, the Lincoln Parish Journal reported. The store is expected to cover 53,000 square feet, include 120 gas pumps and employ at least 200 people.
On June 13, the Lafayette Consolidated Government’s Board of Zoning Adjustment approved a zoning variance request for the Lafayette Buc-ee’s site, the government spokesperson confirmed. The requests, submitted by Kimley-Horn, an engineering, planning and design firm that’s working with Buc-ee’s, included more parking, less landscaping in the parking lot and a taller sign than the zoning would normally allow.
Buc-ee’s could not be reached for comment by press time.
Buc-ee’s joins companies like RaceTrac and Wawa in expanding to new states. Given its supersized stores that look to draw customers from far and wide, Buc-ee’s is so far only planting a few locations in each state outside of Texas.
Buc-ee’s has only been opening stores outside of Texas for a little over five years, but lately the company’s expansion seems to be picking up steam. About two years ago, Buc-ee’s had sites in seven states, with plans for two more in the works. Today, the company has sites open in Texas, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina and Tennessee, with plans in the works for Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Oklahoma would make 10 states planning to welcome their first Buc-ee’s.
Founded in 1982, Lake Jackson, Texas-based Buc-ee’s operates 50 stores, largely in the South and Southeast. Its stores have gained notoriety for their large, clean bathrooms, wide array of branded merchandise and proprietary food, including made-to-order sandwiches and fudge.
