Buc-ee's is expanding across the country: is one coming near you?
The beloved Texas mega-store is opening 12 new locations by 2028, and it’s having a viral moment thanks to World Cup tourists discovering it. Here’s where the new stores are going, what makes Buc-ee’s so beloved, and how a gas station became a destination.
Buc-ee’s, the Texas-born mega gas station that people drive hours out of their way to visit, is expanding fast. If you don’t have one near you yet, you might soon.
The chain just opened its first Arizona location and has a dozen more on the way. And right now, it’s having a viral moment, thanks to an unexpected source: World Cup soccer fans. Here’s the full scoop, including where the new stores are landing.
Wait, what is Buc-ee’s?
If you’ve never been, a quick explainer, because it’s hard to overstate.
Buc-ee’s isn’t a normal gas station. It calls itself the world’s largest convenience store, and it means it. A single location can have over 100 gas pumps and a store the size of a few football fields, around 75,000 square feet. Its mascot is a smiling cartoon beaver, and its billboards (full of corny puns) are famous along Southern highways.
Inside, it’s part gas station, part food hall, part souvenir warehouse. People go for the brisket, the famous Beaver Nuggets (sweet caramel corn puffs), fresh-made fudge and jerky, and walls of branded merch, t-shirts, hats, even home decor. It’s less a pit stop and more a destination you plan your road trip around.
Why people are obsessed with it
So why the cult following? A few real reasons.
The food is genuinely good, not typical gas-station fare. The brisket is cooked on-site, the snacks are addictive, and the variety is overwhelming in the best way.
But the thing Buc-ee’s is most famous for might be its bathrooms. No joke, they’re renowned for being spotlessly clean, with rows of individual stalls, and they’ve won actual awards. For road-trippers, a clean restroom is worth its weight in gold, and Buc-ee’s built a reputation on it.
Add in the friendly staff, the no-18-wheelers policy (which keeps the lots calmer), and the sheer spectacle of the place, and you get a chain people genuinely love. It’s become a piece of Americana.
The viral World Cup moment
Here’s the timely twist that’s putting Buc-ee’s in the national spotlight right now.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup being hosted across the U.S., soccer fans from around the world are road-tripping between matches, and they keep stumbling into Buc-ee’s. The reactions have been pure joy.
One German fan posted about visiting a Buc-ee’s in Auburn, Alabama, and the video racked up more than 20 million views. Tourists from Japan, marveling at the size of the drink cups and the aisles of snacks, have filled social media with clips. “Guys, I wasn’t expecting this, it’s like its own universe,” one visitor said.
It got big enough that Fort Worth’s transit system added a shuttle specifically to ferry World Cup visitors from downtown to the local Buc-ee’s, alongside stops like the zoo and the outlet mall. A gas station became an official tourist attraction. For a lot of international fans, Buc-ee’s has become a quintessential “only in America” experience.
Where the new locations are opening
Now the part you came for: is one coming near you? Here’s the verified list.
Buc-ee’s just opened in Goodyear, Arizona, bringing it to 56 locations across 13 states. And the company has confirmed a big national push, 12 new stores by 2028, expanding into several new states including Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Confirmed locations and dates announced so far include:
San Marcos, Texas — August 12, 2026
Benton, Arkansas — August 17, 2026
Murfreesboro, Tennessee — November 16, 2026
Huber Heights, Ohio — recently opened
St. Lucie, Florida — 2027
And looking further out, more locations are expected starting in 2029 in Ocala, Florida; West Memphis, Arkansas; Oak Grove, Kentucky; and Hardeeville, South Carolina.
So if you’re in the South, the Midwest, or the Southwest, there’s a decent chance a Buc-ee’s is headed your way in the next couple of years.
A little history
To wrap up, how did this beaver empire start?
Buc-ee’s was founded in 1982 in Texas by Arch “Beaver” Aplin III and Don Wasek. The name comes from Aplin’s childhood nickname “Beaver” combined with his dog’s name, which is also why the mascot is a beaver.
It started small, then grew into the travel-center juggernaut it is today, building bigger and bigger stores and earning a fiercely loyal fanbase along the way. For decades it was mostly a Texas and Southern thing. Now, with this national expansion and a viral World Cup boost, Buc-ee’s is becoming a coast-to-coast name.
So whether you’re a longtime fan who plans road trips around Beaver Nuggets, or someone who just keeps seeing those wide-eyed tourist videos and wondering what the fuss is about, the answer is simple: a Buc-ee’s may be opening near you soon. And once you experience the world’s cleanest gas-station bathroom and a bag of fresh Beaver Nuggets, you’ll probably understand the hype.
Just don’t blame us when you start planning trips around it.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
LiveNOW from FOX and FOX Business (June 2026), verified for the Goodyear Arizona opening, the 56 locations/13 states total, the 12-new-stores-by-2028 expansion, the specific cities and dates, the 1982 founding, and the world-record store details
NBC 5 DFW (June 2026), verified for the Trinity Metro World Cup shuttle to Buc-ee’s, the international tourist reactions, and the brisket/Beaver Nuggets/billboards details
AOL and Yahoo Sports (June 2026), verified for the German fan’s 20-million-view Auburn, Alabama post, the Japanese tourists’ reactions, the “own universe” quote, and the cult-following context