Georgia Magazine - June 2021 - 24

GOO

COURTESY BUC-EE'S

RENEE BED

Buc-ee's offers an array of
private-label merchandise
sporting its adorable beaver
mascot.

Jace Maddox Zellner of Macon is a fan of tasty Beaver
Nuggets at the Warner Robins store.

says with a laugh. " I wore the costume for a lighthearted competition we called the Buc-ee's Beaver Nugget Challenge. Whoever
could stuff the most crunchy corn nuggets into his or her mouth
at once while saying 'Buc-ee's' without any falling out won the
championship title. "
Seems everyone is talking about Buc-ee's, buc-ees.com,
the supersized gas station-convenience store that customers
describe as " a must-see destination " and " an experience. "
Georgia soon will be home to two locations when the Calhoun
store opens later this year.

A taste o Texas
Buc-ee's was founded in Texas in 1982 and recently has
expanded to Alabama, Florida and Georgia, with other stores
planned or under construction in North Carolina, South
Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee. Texans Don Wasek and
Arch Aplin III own the company.
" No one calls him Arch. Everyone calls him 'Beaver,' " says
Jeff Nadalo, Buc-ee's general counsel. " He's been Beaver since he
was a young boy. That's where the beaver logo comes from. "
The company's name was inspired by Aplin's pet Labrador
retriever, Buck, Nadalo says.
As the saying goes, " Everything is bigger in Texas, " and the
chain's location in New Braunfels, Texas, is 66,335 square feet,
earning Buc-ee's the accolade of " world's largest convenience
store. "
" Oh, they're big, " Nadalo says. " The Warner Robins store is
more than 52,000 square feet with 120 fueling positions. More

Georgia Magazine

23-25_Buc-ee's_0621.indd 24

than 175 employees work at
that store. "
With that kind of wow-worthy
scale, many are surprised to learn that
Buc-ee's is not a truck stop, unlike the other large, 24/7 travel
centers. Buc-ee's does not offer fuel pumps for large semi trucks.

Step inside and behold the grab-and-go food galore. Aisles
are packed with snacks that include the iconic Buc-ee's Beaver
Nuggets and trail mixes, dried fruits, gummies and throwback
candies such as malted-milk balls, Boston Baked Beans and
miniature wax bottles filled with flavored syrup. If you like
fudge, you'll love the rich, flavorful Buc-ee's offerings.
Customers also rave about the impressive wall of jerky, with
several varieties and flavors that include traditional peppered
turkey or beef and jerky spiced with garlic and green chilies.
" I wasn't hungry when I walked in, but then I smelled the
smoky aroma of the Texas barbecue and changed my mind, "
says Andy Lanier of Bonaire, referring to his first trip to Bucee's. " There was a guy chopping beef brisket on a butcher-block
island. It looked and smelled delicious. "
Barbecue crew masters call customers over to the brisket
station by hollering, " Fresh brisket on the board, " then they
break down the slabs of meat in front of an eager audience.
Eight-time world barbecue champion Randy Pauly is the barbecue pitmaster for Buc-ee's. He knows the secret behind the
success of the barbecue and the proprietary sauce that boasts

June 2021

5/12/21 12:16 PM

http://www.buc-ees.com

Georgia Magazine - June 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - June 2021