Angry Floridians feel 'betrayed' as Buc-ee's backtracks over plans for world's biggest store
Buc-ee's convenience store has quietly backtracked on its plans to open their largest store in Florida - in a blow to the state's governor Ron DeSantis.
Initially, the plan was to open an 80,000-square-foot store in the Sunshine State - which would have made it the largest Buc-ee's.
But this week Buc-ee's real estate boss Stan Beard said that it will actually measure 74,000 square feet.
That leaves the Florida location just shy of the 75,000 square feet Texas store due to open next month in Luling - which is 50 miles south of Austin. That will hold the title as the largest Buc-ee's in the world and boast 120 gas fueling stations.
The clarification is an embarrassment for DeSantis, who had bragged about how big the Florida Buc-ee's would be.
Buc-ee's convenience store has quietly backtracked its plans top open their largest store in Florida (Pictured: Buc-ee's - Luling Texas)
Initially, the plan was to open an 80,000-square-foot store - securing the title of the largest, however, Stan Beard, Buc-ee's director of real estate and development, clarified in a statement that it will actually measure 74,000 square feet (Pictured: Florida Buc-ee's)
In 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida had annoucned the news that the state was expecting to h ave an opening of the third Buc-ee's in the state of Florida
The upcoming Florida store in Marion County will be on land near Interstate 75, north of Ocala, and is set to open in 2025.
The Texas Buc-ee's will grab the 'biggest' title from the current record-holder in Sevierville, Tennessee, which neasures 74,000 square feet.
'The new Buc-ee's Luling will be the largest Buc-ee's location in the country, bringing the largest Buc-ee's back where the legend began,' stated the release.
Regarding the Florida location, Stan Beard, the retailer's director of real estate, clarified in a statement that: 'Buc-ee's is currently in the design and permitting phase for a 74,000 square foot-store in Ocala, FL, which is our largest store model outside the State of Texas.'
'The new Buc-ee's travel center in Marion County will be located at the soon to be constructed I-75 and NW 49th Street Interchange. FDOT, Marion County, and the Governor's Office have all been outstanding partners in this project and we look forward to the highway construction beginning toward the end of this year or early 2025.'
'Buc-ee's will be following the FDOT schedule closely and we intend to open the store soon after the Interchange is completed. We are ecstatic to be on the west coast of Florida and are thankful to all those who have helped us get here.'
In 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida had announced the news that the state was expecting to have an a huge Buc-ee's.
'It's the Shangri La of service stations. It's gonna be 80,000 square-foot store. It's gonna have 120 fuel pumps and more than 720 parking spaces,' DeSantis said at the time.
Floridians has mixed emotions about the news of the downsizing with some expressing disappointment while others were relieved that the new location likely won't cause as much traffic as anticipated.
Floridians has mixed emotions about the news of the downsizing
Some expressed disappointment while others were relieved that the new location will likely cause less traffic than anticipated
The Buc-ee's convenience store, renowned for its 'world's cleanest bathrooms, freshest food, and friendliest beaver,' as per their press release, will open in Luling, Texas next month, boasting an impressive 75,000 square feet and 120 fueling stations
Nowadays, Buc-ee's is known for having hundreds of gas pumps at any one location, tens of thousands of square feet of shopping space, meticulously clean bathrooms, and of course, a friendly beaver named Buc-ee as its mascot
This adjustment will leave the Florida location just shy of the 75,000 square feet of the Texas store, which is currently holding the title as the largest Buc-ee's in the world. (Pictured: aerial view of the newly constructed Buc-ee's in Luling, Texas)
'Thank goodness! These things are a traffic travesty,' one wrote.
Founded in 1982, Buc-ee's was originally a Texas chain of highway travel centers but has since expanded to the rest of the southern US.
Nowadays, Buc-ee's is known for having hundreds of gas pumps at any one location, tens of thousands of square feet of shopping space, meticulously clean bathrooms, and of course, a friendly beaver named Buc-ee as its mascot.
As one Florida travel influencer described Buc-ee's in a TikTok video: 'It's a lot more than just a gas station. It's more like a gas station meets a Cracker Barrel meets a Walmart meets a Bass Pro Shops. It's got everything.'
Many Texans are already besides themselves with excitement over reclaiming the crown for the largest store when the Luling location opens later this month.
It will replace the city's current Buc-ee's store, which was the brand's first family travel center, built in 2003, the company's press release detailed.
Buc-ee's favorites including Texas barbeque, homemade fudge, kolaches, Beaver Nuggets, jerky and fresh pastries will all be available, it added.
One man, going by the user name Glennshares, posted a video on TikTok this April excitedly recapping the entire construction process of the new store.
He had been driving by the construction site periodically for about a year and a half, taking video of the progress, bit by bit.
In January 2023, the main building was up, but none of the gas pumps were there. A year later, things really began to shape up, with much of the construction equipment gone and the fueling lanes ready to go.
Pictured: The store's famous 'Beaver Nuggets,' which is actually caramel corn
Pictured: The expansive interior of the Tennessee Buc-ee's that used to be the world's biggest convenience store
The Luling Buc-ee's will have 120 fuel pumps and occupy more than 75,000 square feet (more than 1.3 times the size of a football field)
Buc-ee's cute red-shirted beaver mascot that is so popular even unauthorized third parties sell them online
Buc-ee's is known for having rows and rows of beef jerky for travel-weary visitors to choose from
The store features 120 gas pumps, a barbecue brisket counter with a 'Texas round-up station' and rows upon rows of beef jerky.
But perhaps the most popular thing to eat at Buc-ee's is its famous Beaver Nuggets - caramel corn.
The other side of the store sells merchandise, including t-shirts, mugs, socks, stickers, swimsuits and others items emblazoned with the Buc-ee's beaver.
The Sevierville Buc-ee's, which has 400 full-time employees, also has a 250-foot car wash.
When the new Luling store opens, the company will have a total of 50 stores across Texas and the South.
It also has plans to expand beyond its current southern footprint, seeking to open new stores in Virginia, Louisiana, Colorado, Wisconsin, Mississippi and Missouri in the coming years.
