On Dec. 11, over 1,000 visitors attended the grand opening of Buc-ee’s newest location in Springfield, MO. This new location in the Buc-ee’s empire boasts 120 gas pumps, a 53,000 square foot facility and has generated over 200 well-paying jobs with generous health benefits for the employees. This gas station and general store are located along the original Route 66 at 3284 Beaver Road. The store opened at 6 a.m and a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at 11 a.m.
“We have here Buc-ee’s located in the Midwest, and I can tell you Beaver did his research,” Councilman Abe McGull said. “He wanted to locate to Springfield because he knew it was a great location for his business here.”
Buc-ee’s currently has 58 locations, mostly located in Texas and other southern states. However, this new move to Springfield brings with it a wave of possibilities for potential store openings in other northern states.
“We started in Texas, and then kind of worked through the southeast and then up the eastern seaboard and I’d say we’re in the northeast,” Buc-ee’s CEO and founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin said. “We’ve been going north, and so we’re working also in Virginia. We’re in Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida. And so [this new location] I think fits right in our growth strategy.”
Buc-ee’s is famous for its Beaver Nuggets, fudge, brisket, and bathrooms, claiming that they have some of the cleanest in the world. They also sell Buc-ee’s merch as well as other household or road-trip items. Its wide selection makes Buc-ee’s a one-stop-shop for everything one could need.
“I would recommend the chopped brisket sandwich,” Aplin said.
People from far and wide came to the opening of the Springfield Buc-ee’s location from states like Texas, Arkansas and Wisconsin, and from all different levels of Buc-ee’s veteranship. For some, it was their first experience, while others were journeying across all Buc-ee’s locations. This event gathered many beaver-wearing, brisket-eating fans. Buc-ee’s is often considered a cultural phenomenon and a tourist attraction for many in the South. This new location in Missouri was met with positive reactions and a new market was introduced to the Buc-ee’s environment.
“It’s just a humbling thing to open a business and have this kind of crowd show up for it,” Aplin said. “I mean, think about it, what other grand openings does anybody even attend? So that doesn’t go unnoticed. To me that’s very, very special, that people really appreciate what we do and love it.”
As the store has brought over a thousand of eccentric and excited fans from all over the area, the once-remote location has become a tourist destination. Due to the level of stardom Buc-ee’s holds, the area needed 8.5 million dollars for roadway improvements, electric lines and utility lines. In January of 2023, the city council voted into an agreement with Buc-ee’s to repay them up to 4.1 million dollars within the next 20 years using sales tax revenue. This project began over a year and a half ago and stands as a testament to the dedication Buc-ee’s has to expanding its market.
“We are so pleased and elated to have Buc-ee’s,” Springfield Mayor Ken McClure said. “We’re pleased to be the first one in Missouri. Pleased that it is on Route 66, the original route. We’re the birthplace of Route 66. But what a great attraction, 80 percent of the customers here are going to be from outside Springfield and maybe outside our state traveling through so just from a revenue standpoint, they’re looking at $30 million annual sales. So that translates into our economic vitality and quality of place. So we’re just so pleased.” (Story by Violet Newton and Mckenna Hudson)
