Last month, my wife and I visited Nashville for a few days and enjoyed a lot of good food and music. It’s a long drive to and from Charlotte, though. As we made our way home, we stopped for gas and food at the famous travel-center chain Buc-ee’s in Tennessee. There is one opening in 2027 in Mebane in Alamance County, so I thought it would be cool to get a look at what’s coming. A few thoughts:
It was easy to get gas. There are plenty of pumps available — which isn’t always
the case at other similar places (you hear me, Sheetz?).
It’s obvious that it’s based in Texas. It’s not just a convenience store, it’s like an Incredible Hulk-mutant version of a 7-11, barbecue joint, Cracker Barrel and ACE Hardware. It’s massive and has practically everything one would need (and then some): stuffed animals, firewood, grills, Christmas ornaments …
And the food: There is a lot of meat. There is a huge brisket station with a staff serving sandwiches and chanting something about hot brisket coming up every 10 minutes or so. There is an entire wall of beef jerky with more dried meat than a wagon train heading west in 1873 would ever need. There’s also a lot of candy, baked goods and other delectables that would put any Circle K to shame.
And lots of clean bathrooms. This is a big one, and probably a big factor in their success. I heard that the only time there is a big line for them is while they are being cleaned.
The employees are very attentive. I witnessed this firsthand as I was walking with a hot club sandwich, big cookie and a soda, my mouth agape and staring in bewilderment at the scene, when my drink spilled. Instantly, some dude with a headset approached and reported the mishap faster than a stage manager during a costume malfunction at the Super Bowl. Immediately, someone arrived with a mop and went to work.
There are a lot of grannies there, and they dig it. They were whooping it up, smiling and buying, baby! This reminded me of our annual Southern Christmas Show here in Charlotte. I’ll bet if you yell, “Meemaw” in there, a good half of heads would turn …
The bottom line: Buc-ee’s is big and bold and a bit overwhelming for me, but I don’t doubt it will be a major success when it opens here. ■
Ben Kinney is publisher of Business North Carolina magazine. You can reach him at bkinney@businessnc.com.