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Buc-ee’s planted its flag in Arkansas on Monday, opening its first location in the Natural State as the Texas-based travel center chain continues an aggressive expansion across the U.S.
The new Buc-ee’s in Benton opened its doors at 6 a.m. CT and spans 74,000 square feet, with 120 fueling positions. The company said the sprawling travel center will create more than 200 jobs.
The Arkansas debut brings Buc-ee’s to 58 locations nationwide, further extending a brand that began as a Texas roadside institution into new markets across the country.
Located at 1400 Highway 229, the store offers the chain’s signature assortment of Texas barbecue, homemade fudge, kolaches, Beaver Nuggets, jerky and fresh pastries, along with the famously clean restrooms that have helped turn Buc-ee’s into a roadside destination.
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“We obviously picked Benton, the ‘Heart of Arkansas,’ to be the first Buc-ee’s in the Natural State,” Stan Beard of Buc-ee’s said ahead of the opening.
“Folks on their way to or from Hot Springs or any number of beautiful destinations around Benton and Little Rock will stop in for our great Texas BBQ, the cleanest restrooms in the universe, and a pit stop beyond their wildest expectations,” Beard added.
Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Texas, Buc-ee’s operates 37 stores in its home state, according to the company. Its footprint now also includes locations in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
The Benton opening came just five days after Buc-ee’s opened a new location in San Marcos, Texas, on Aug. 12, underscoring the pace of the company’s expansion beyond its longtime Texas base.
Earlier this year, Buc-ee’s entered two other new markets, opening its first Ohio location in Huber Heights in April before making its Arizona debut with a new travel center in Goodyear in June.
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More growth is already in the pipeline. Buc-ee’s is expected to open another travel center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on Nov. 16, followed by several additional locations across the country in the coming years.
Six locations are slated for 2027, including Ruston, Louisiana; Kansas City, Kansas; Gallaway, Tennessee; St. Lucie, Florida; Boerne, Texas; and Monroe County, Georgia. Another two are planned for 2028 in Mebane, North Carolina, and Lafayette, Louisiana.
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Additional locations are scheduled for 2029 and beyond, including West Memphis, Arkansas; Ocala, Florida; and Oak Grove, Kentucky, in 2029, followed by Hardeeville, South Carolina, in 2031.
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