C. A. BridgesUSA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
Heads up, Treasure Coast! The beaver may be coming.
The Texas-based gas station/convenience store chain Buc-ee's may be coming to St. Lucie County as part of its Florida expansion, according to public documents. A conceptual plan obtained by TCPalm states “Buc-ee’s— Fort Pierce, FL” and “Buc-ee’s, Ltd.”
Buc-ee's began in Texas in 1982 and stayed in the Lone Star State for years, but the chain has been making inroads into the Sunshine State. There are locations in Daytona Beach and St. Augustine, and there's one planned for the Ocala area that will take the title of largest Buc-ee's at 80,000 sq ft.
Yes, 80,000 square feet. That's almost twice as big as an average Publix. But Buc-ee's is no mere gas station.
Buc-ee's, open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, is what you get when you put a convenience store on steroids and ask theme park imagineers to design it for you. Everything in it seems huge, from the deli/bakery counter to the rows of ice bag freezers outside to the countless shelves of store-brand... well, everything.
Buc-ee's coming to Treasure Coast? Six things to know about Buc-ee's as it plans to open fourth Florida location in St. Lucie
The Buc-ee's locations in Daytona Beach and St. Augustine tie for the title of largest gas station in Florida.
Here's what you can find when you walk in:
1. Cheap(er) gas prices
Buc-ee's tends to keep its gas prices around the CostCo/Sam's/BJ's level, without requiring a membership.
A survey earlier this year from Texas-based energy company Payless Power named Buc-ee's the second-favorite gas station (after CostCo), with gas prices just behind Wawa.
"Between cleanliness, price, food quality and customer service, only two stations, Costco and Buc-ee's, made the top five in all four categories," Payless' report said. "They also took first and second place, respectively, for the overall best-rated gas stations."
2. Buc'ee's has food. Lots of it.
There's a Texas Roundup section in the middle as you walk in, preparing hot foods such as certified Angus beef brisket, pulled pork, sausages, turkey, roasted cinnamon nuts and more. Many items, even Buc-ee's brand potato chips, are cooked on-site.
There's a counter in the back offering store-made jerky by the pound in multiple flavors and kolache pastries (rolls stuffed with meat and cheese, or fruit).
"We'll have everything from sausage kolaches to ham and cheese and fruit kolaches," Smith said about the Daytona Beach location in 2020. "We'll also have homemade jalapeno cheese bread, banana nut muffins, scones and cinnamon rolls the size of dinner plates that are spectacular. And they're all baked here in the kitchen."
3. Buc-ee's has its own brand of... everything
There are entire sections devoted to chips, candy, popcorn, hot sauces, and any picnic or motorist need you can imagine, and most of it is made for the chain and branded with their name and ubiquitous beaver logo. There are pickled quail eggs, candied jalapeños, and quail poppers.
4. They make their own fudge
They have a fudge counter. Because why not.
Buc-ee's makes its own fudge, with over 20 types including blueberry cobbler, maple pecan, red velvet, M&M, and watermelon, plus the usual varieties of chocolate and caramel. If you can't decide, there are stacks of sampler boxes ready for you in the aisles.
5. Don't skip the Beaver Nuggets
And there are 'Beaver Nuggets.'
Buc-ee's is famous for its 'Beaver Nuggets,' which are not technically medically addictive but they are definitely what the British called "moreish," meaning you want to keep eating them. The basic flavor of the round snacks is something like a caramel-flavored corn puff, but they're also available in sea-salted caramel, cinnamon, Bold 'n' Spicy, white cheddar, white cheddar habanero, chocolate-covered, and a Bugles-shaped white-fudge-covered version. There is even a Beaver-Nuggets-scented candle, for when you run out at home and still want the scent.
When Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a $4 million grant from the state's Job Growth Grant Fund will help build the new I-75 interchange and welcomed Buc-ee's to the area, he hurled bags of Beaver Nuggets into the crowd.
6. There is a Wall of Jerky
Around 20 different flavors are available of different cuts and textures including Cherry Maple, Peppered Turkey, Steakhouse, Ghost Pepper, Teriyaki, Korean Barbecue, Bohemian Garlic and more. Customers regularly take selfies in front of the wall, just marveling at it all.
The most popular jerky? Bohemian Garlic, according to Josh Smith, director of operations for the Southeast. "It’s been one of our most popular items since Arch Aplin III opened his first store in 1982."
7. Household goods and beaver gear
A giant beaver greets you outside and images of him are everywhere. Florida residents used to giant, somewhat disturbing cartoon mascots will find this very familiar.
Inside, half the store is what Smith called the "fun side" of the store: basically a department store dropped in the midst of the candy bars and styrofoam coolers.
You'll be able to find home decor, kitchen utensils, clothing, barbecue grills and wood, Florida souvenirs, and more, from a mix of local and worldwide vendors. The St. Augustine location even sells crawfish-washing buckets. But mostly you'll find Buc-ee's branded products like shirts, hoodies, sunscreen, soccer balls, hats, sports equipment and possibly a literal truck full of Buc-ee's plush toys.
Regulars go to Buc-ee's for the brand items and the experience, sometimes with gas as an afterthought. The website eater.com described Buc-ee's as the "most beloved road-trip destination" in Texas and several other websites also list Buc-ee's as one of the top places to visit in the Lone Star State.
And the beaver? In a2018 interviewwith The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Buc-ee's co-founder Arch "Beaver" Aplin explained that the cartoon beaver mascot was inspired by his own childhood nicknames, "Beaver" and "Bucky Beaver." It's also a shoutout to his childhood Labrador dog, Buck.
8. Incredibly clean bathrooms
If you need to pull over for a bathroom stop, you want a Buc-ee's. Like everything else in Buc-ee's the bathrooms are enormous. They're also guaranteed to be clean and inviting, and you won't have to wait in line, probably ever.
Buc-ee's has been rated by GasBuddy.com as having the cleanest restrooms of any convenience store chain in the nation.Every location has full-time staff dedicated just to keep the facilities clean and well-stocked, with seemingly more stalls than the average sports stadium.
In 2012, service industry supplier Cintas held a nationwide restroom contest and a Buc-ee's location in New Braunfels, Texas, as having the cleanest restrooms in the country.
9. World records
This year Buc-ee's broke its own world record for largest gas station with a new, 74,707 sq ft location in Sevierville, Tennessee. But the one coming to Ocala will beat that by 6,000 sq ft.
And the Buc'ee's in Katy, Texas boasts the world's longest car wash, 255 feet of sudsy goodness.
10. A decent job
When Buc-ee's opened its Daytona Beach location in 2020, starting pay was $14 to $15 an hour for entry-level positions, with full benefits, a 401(k) and three weeks of vacation for full-time employees. According to employment site GlassDoor.com, the average pay scale runs from $16 per hour for a Deli Clerk and $28 per hour for a manager. A general manager can see from $150,000 to $225,000 a year.
That's well above Florida's minimum wage, which is currently $11 an hour but will increase to $12 on Sept. 30.
In May, Roxie Abnernathy (@roxieab) went viral on TikTok when she pointed out that a Buc-ee's janitor made the same amount as she did as a case manager. In a follow-up video she detailed the different rates and how they compared to her own income. "I'm still, like, in shock," she said.
