Buc-ee's inches closer to Chicago with first Wisconsin location

Zoom in: To call Texas-based Buc-ee's a gas station is doing it a disservice. Instead, it's a massive convenience store with a beef jerky bar, a brisket station, and its own delicacy called Beaver Nuggets (essentially caramel-glazed puffed corn).

• It also has self-proclaimed it has the "cleanest restrooms in America."
• The store would feature 120 gas pumps and several EV charging stations.

By the numbers: The Buc-ee's in Oak Creek will be located right off I-94 and would be almost 75,000 square feet in size.

• By comparison, the average size of a Jewel grocery store is around 60,000 square feet.
• There are 47 locations in the country, 34 of them in Texas.
• The largest store in Texas has more than 300 employees.

Reality check: Illinois isn't on Buc-ee's shortlist for expansion.

What's next: Construction. Building a Buc-ee's is not a quick endeavor.

• "We have plan submittals, commission approvals and final city council decisions to be made before we can put a shovel in the ground," Buc-ee's Stan Beard said in a press release.
• The city of Oak Creek's Planning Commission announced a timeline that has four key approval meetings set up through June.
• If approved, look for the Oak Creek, Wisconsin, location to open in 2027.

The bottom line: You may soon be able to take a quick drive north to experience the best travel center in the south.