The Buc-ee's experience is coming to Arizona
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A Buc-ee's Travel Center in Katy, Texas, in 2017. Photo: Craig Moseley/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
Buc-ee's, a Texas-based gas station and travel center with a cult following, is coming to Arizona and in anticipation, we want to know what's so great about this place.
Why it matters: They say everything's bigger in Texas, and Arizona is about see why. Buc-ee's is likely to become a prominent addition to the West Valley that will draw in locals and travelers alike.
Catch up quick: The Goodyear City Council last week approved a rezoning request for a Buc-ee's Travel Center on a 71-acre site at the southwest corner of Bullard Avenue and Interstate 10.
- Buc-ee's plans for the new location to be 75,000 square feet, with at least 50,000 square feet of retail space.
Zoom in: Buc-ee's is hugely popular, with 47 locations mostly in Texas but also in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina and Tennessee.
- Buc-ee the Beaver, the chain's cartoon mascot, is emblazoned on merchandise that's proudly worn by the company's fans. Axios Phoenix spotted one in Gilbert a couple of weekends ago.
- What exactly is Buc-ee's? Our Axios Dallas colleague Michael Mooney once wrote in Texas Highways: "Picture a high-end flea market crossed with the nicest Fina station you've been to, then add a touch of truck-stop diner, and then give the whole place a slight theme-park vibe."
- It seems like you can buy just about anything, from standard gas station fare to cooking utensils, windchimes, clothing, books, stuffed animals, wine glasses and even a barbecue pit.
State of play: Being from Arizona, we don't know much about Buc-ee's, but fortunately for us, other Axios colleagues in Texas were willing to share some insight into why people love it so much.
What they're saying: "I'm thrilled that another state will soon discover the marvel that is Buc-ee's. That iconic red-baseball-cap-wearing beaver serves as a beacon of hope during lengthy road journeys," Axios San Antonio's Madalyn Mendoza wrote.
- Axios Dallas' Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi said the large, clean restrooms are what make Buc-ee's so great.
- Some locations also have superchargers, she added, and the store is a great place to pass the time while your car charges.
- Tasha Tsiaperas of Axios Dallas says the merchandise is great, the bathrooms are pristine, the gas are pumps plentiful and well-lit, the food is good for a gas station, and it feels safe stopping there at night when traveling alone.
The other side: Not everyone has such a high level of reverence for Buc-ee's.
- "I actually have no idea why Buc-ee's is so popular," said Asher Price from Axios Austin.
- Megan Stringer of Axios San Antonio says the bathrooms are clean, but she finds the place a bit overwhelming and says traffic sometimes backs up pretty far to get into them.
1 big tip: Buc-ee's tends to get pretty busy, so steer clear on long weekends, Naheed says.