Buc-ee’s gas stations have become a popular phenomenon for Americans who want to fill their tank but also grab a sweet treat for the road.
Here DailyMail.com takes a look inside the world’s largest Buc-ee’s station in Tennessee.
The 74,707-square-foot station in Sevierville features 120 gas pumps, a barbecue brisket counter with a ‘Texas round-up station’ and rows upon rows of beef jerky.
Since opening in June, the East Tennessee branch near Dollywood and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has drawn in Buc-ee’s fans from around the country, as well as the curious but uninitiated.
‘I think this one will put them all to shame,’ Kentucky resident Collette told the Washington Post.
The 74,707-square-foot station in Sevierville features 120 gas pumps and 500 parking spaces
Buc-ee’s cute red-shirted beaver mascot that is so popular even unauthorized third parties sell them online
The store features a barbecue brisket counter with a ‘Texas round-up station’ and rows upon rows of beef jerky
‘It’s exciting to be the largest one,’ said Charlie Creech, the general manager of the Sevierville store.
‘But I think they deserve to be the largest because they’re in Texas.’
When the store opened in June the ribbon cutting celebration was attended by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and even Unites States Senators Bill Haggerty and Marsha Blackburn.
‘We really are excited about what it’s going to bring in terms of new things for people to see and do when they come to Sevierville’ Amanda Marr of the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce said at the time.
‘It’s going to open us up for people who are just passing through the area to stop and enjoy a little taste of what our town has to offer,’ she added.
One fan, Terry Deschler, told WVLT, that she had queued outside the Sevierville Buc’ees since 1:30am in the morning on opening day that started at 6am.
Wearing branded Buc’ees pyjamas and hat said ‘I didn’t want to miss anything, I wanted to be the first one here.
‘I like the Buc’ees chocolate and the t-shirts’ she added.
Buc-ee’s has been around since 1982, when college graduate Arch Aplin III opened up a gas station in the small town of Lake Jackson
The station also features a car wash for visitors to use while they browse the store’s many other conveniences
The store is laid out into two halves: Food and beverages occupy one side, and apparel, knickknacks, sporting goods, housewares on the other
Fans of the store are devotees of its Beaver Nuggets (sweet corn puffs)
However, On November 12, the company broke ground on an even bigger store in Luling, Texas, a small town about 45 miles south of Austin.
Buc-ees has been around since 1982, when college graduate Arch Aplin III opened up a gas station in the small town of Lake Jackson, Texas with the aim of being bigger than his competitors.
For the next four decades, Buc-ee’s, named after Aplin’s golden retriever, spread across Texas gaining a devoted following for its brisket sandwiches, Beaver Nuggets (sweet corn puffs) and it’s cute red-shirted beaver mascot that is so popular even unauthorized third parties sell them online.
The store also sells branded t-shirts, mugs, socks, stickers, swimsuits and other popular merchandise.
In 2019, the chain decided to branch out of state, setting up a station in Alabama.
The company has since expanded to almost 50 locations in seven states.
Buc’ees plans to open chains in Virginia, Louisiana, Colorado, Wisconsin, Mississippi and Missouri.
In the Sevierville branch, which is open 24 hours, Buc-ee’s has its own roundabout and electric sign directing traffic, plus a 500-spot parking lot that sometimes approaches full capacity.
The Texas Round-up signals the arrival of fresh brisket at one of the many food stations.
Every 10 to 15 minutes a chant rings through the tannoy system at Buc-ee’s for the Texas Round-up
Buc-ee’s fans flood the Tennessee store when it opened in June
When the store opened in June the ribbon cutting celebration was attended by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and even Unites States Senators Bill Haggerty and Marsha Blackburn
‘We really are excited about what it’s going to bring in terms of new things for people to see and do when they come to Sevierville’ Amanda Marr of the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce said at the opening
The station also features a car wash for visitors to use while they browse the store’s many other conveniences.
The store is laid out into two halves: Food and beverages occupy one side, and apparel, knickknacks, sporting goods, housewares on the other.
The bathrooms are famously clean and convenient, even being recognized by the app GasBuddy for having top-ranking restrooms in 2019.
Each stall features a pendant light that glows red or green depending on availability, just like parking garages.
Every 10 to 15 minutes a chant rings through the tannoy system at Buc-ee’s for the Texas Round-up.
Some visitors are surprised by the lack of seating at Buc-ee’s, which is deemed unnecessary since those passing through tend to fill up then eat in their cars.
The brisket, which is smoked between 12 to 14 hours, also appears in a breakfast taco and alongside turkey and sausage in the chain’s Three Meat Sandwich.
Some visitors are surprised by the lack of seating at Buc-ee’s, which is deemed unnecessary since those passing through tend to fill up and then eat in their cars.