I fondly remember Stuckey’s when we took roadtrips as a kid. The steep, turqoise-blue roof symbolized clean restrooms. I haven’t seen Stuckey’s in so long I had to search the internet to see if they were still around. They are, but only with a third of the locations they had back in their heyday.
There’s a new kid on the block: Buc-ee’s. I first heard of this Texas-based chain from relatives near Beaumont. Then a few years ago, I read a Texas Monthly article, “Buc-ee’s: The Path to World Domination.” Recently, Buc-ee’s opened two locations in Georgia, both along I-75.
Driving Thing 1 to college, we stopped at the Buc-ee’s about 100 miles south of Atlanta in Fort Valley. I wasn’t surprised to see the multitudes (120 to be exact) of gas pumps. What did surprise me, however, were signs forbidding semi-trucks. Who on earth needs this large of a convenience store in this rural part of the state if you’re not a truck driver?
In an effort to attract families and make their stores a destination, Buc-ee’s completely eliminates the 18-wheeler crowd. Their official stance is that the heavy trucks would cause damage to the pavement and congest the gas pumps. So don’t make the mistake of calling Buc-ee’s a truck stop. It is not a truck stop. Repeat. It is not a truck stop.
Inside
We entered the 53,000 square foot space, which was larger than most grocery stores I had growing up. Buc-ee’s branded items, such as kids’ bathing suits and shirts, greeted us.
Another section resembled a gift shop. I constantly reminded myself I was still in a gas station. Famous for their Texas-based products, they incorporated Georgia items in this location as well. If I’d had more time, I may have purchased a Georgia-shaped cutting board.
That’s exactly what Buc-ee’s wants us to do. Spend more time shopping. The strategy worked.
Food
The store layout forces visitors to pass by the food area en route to the restrooms. Now, I would never dream of purchasing food items (except for packaged snacks) at a convenience store. But Buc-ee’s changed that notion for me. Smells of fresh bread, coffee and brisket wafted through the air. Resembling a food court, the sandwich station was hard to resist – even at 8 am.
We ended up stopping at the bakery case to purchase a strawberry cream cheese kolache (it’s a Texas thing similar to a Danish). Dear Hubby (DH) got a jalapeno cheese sausage and I got a yogurt parfait.
Restrooms
Known for having clean restrooms, we headed to the back of the store to use the facilities. Along the tile corridor, original paintings for purchase hung from the walls while attendants stationed in the restrooms, cleaned up constantly.
Exterior
Another thing the chain is known for is good gasoline prices. DH noted it was more in line with Costco gasoline prices – without the long lines and membership fee.
I’m glad we stopped so I can see what all the hoopla is about. I still don’t understand why people go nuts about anything branded with the Buc-ee’s logo and beaver. But it was cute watching families take their picture with Buc-ee near the door.
Part food court, gift shop and hardware store (they even sell meat smokers), Buc-ee’s makes an interesting road trip experience that’s open 24 hours a day. For more information about the company, click here.