Buc-ee’s confirms another expansion on its radar: Beaver fever spreading to our north?
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Buc-ee’s has its eye on our neighbors to the north.
The chain of famous Texas-based travel centers known for its clean restrooms, vast selections of snacks and friendly beaver mascot is considering an expansion into Oklahoma, a company representative told KHOU 11 in Houston. The retailer also is working on confirming two locations in Louisiana — in Lafayette and in Ruston, east of Shreveport.
The news comes on the heels of Buc-ee’s opening its largest travel center in the United States in June. That one, of course, is in Texas.
The company did not say where in Oklahoma it is looking, nor when it might make an announcement. The closest Buc-ee’s to folks living in the Sooner State are either here in the Metroplex, or to the northeast near Springfield, Missouri.
Currently, Buc-ee’s operates primarily in the South, with locations mostly in Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky, and a lone outpost in Johnstown, Colorado. The company has been on a building spree in recent years, spreading Beaver fandom across the country.
The unique one-stop shop is known for strategically placing its travel centers along Interstates in mostly rural areas cities near larger metropolitan areas.
Oklahoma City is the 20th largest city in the U.S. with a population around 700,000. Tulsa is home to about 400,000 people. Both are along major interstates.
As summer road trips take off and travelers look for a place to stretch their legs or eat some Beaver Nuggets, a new location in Oklahoma may be the pit-stop oasis they’re looking for.
Buc-ee’s expansion strategy suggests that a new location would aim to capture the steady flow of traffic in and out of Oklahoma City — perhaps somewhere along Interstate 35 that leads to Fort Worth.
Given the popularity of Buc-ee’s among those who travel to Texas, many Oklahomans are already familiar with the brand. For now, the Sooners will have to wait for more details on when and where the first Oklahoma Buc-ee’s will open its doors.
