Updated: September 18, 2019
Videos by Wide Open Country
Buc-ee's has officially broken ground in Daytona Beach, Florida! The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, was on-site holding one of the shovels as Buc-ee's employees broke ground on the new gas station off of Interstate 95 and LPGA Boulevard, right near the Daytona Speedway. The location is only an hour outside of Orlando, and forty minutes from St. Augustine.
Planned to be the largest gas station/convenience store in the Sunshine State, the new Buc-ee's will feature 120-fueling position gas station and a 53,000-square feet travel convenience center packed with clean restrooms, homemade fudge, jerky, and beaver nuggets. The largest convenience store in the state will also house a car wash.
This morning I had the pleasure of joining @bucees for the groundbreaking ceremony of their new facility in Daytona Beach. Our state remains ripe with opportunity and my administration will continue to strive to make Florida the ideal location for new and growing businesses. pic.twitter.com/J8d7AQ4GNj
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) September 16, 2019
This is the first location in Florida and the second Buc-ee's location outside of the Lone Star State and it looks like it is just the beginning. Earlier this year Co-founder Arch "Beaver" Aplin shared with Texas Monthly his plan for "world domination", unveiling a map with an "invasion plan" to open additional stores in Georgia and North Carolina as well. That's an invasion I wouldn't be too mad about.
The original article continues below:
If there's one thing that just about every Texan has in common, it's a love of Buc-ee's. Whether you fall for the candy wall, the Beaver Nuggets, or the cleanest bathrooms on a stretch of highway you've ever seen, there's something in a Buc-ee's for everyone. So when it was announced that Florida would be the first state to get a Buc-ee's since it was founded in 1982, it was exciting to think what kind of spin the Sunshine State would put on their own beaver establishment. Maybe the Buc-ee's Beanery, perhaps?
There are multiple stores planned. The first will be in Daytona Beach and the second will be in Fort Myers. The Daytona Beach location was reported by the Daytona Beach News-Journal to be over 50,000 square feet on 35 acres with 120 gas pumps. Would you imagine anything else from a real Texan convenience store? The Fort Myers location, as reported by the Florida Times-Union to be a 52,600-square-foot location with 120 gas pumps. When both locations are complete, they will be the largest in the state. Both stores are planned to open around 2019.
So what do Floridians have to say about this beloved Texas brand coming into town? As you would guess, the reactions are mixed. Some know exactly what they're getting, and they're very pleased, to say the least.
— Patrick Krechowski (@pwkski) October 12, 2017
Very Happy!!! #beavernuggets pic.twitter.com/tkRInXdCig
— Shaneka Smalls (@ShanekaSmalls) October 12, 2017
Some know exactly what to expect...
Some are asking their Texan friends what to expect...
Texas expats confirm: this will be awesome pic.twitter.com/Sp20wjonmu
— Tessa Duvall (@TessaDuvall) October 12, 2017
And some Buc-ee's fans are letting their friends know what's coming their way.
But mostly, Buc-ee's fans are just happy the chain is successful and spreading.
What makes Buc-ee's so wonderful, really, is that it has such a good reputation with its fans. Just thinking about Buc-ee's brings forth road trip memories for generations of Texans, and it's an exciting thing to share a beloved tradition. Almost like sharing a bottle of Coke with peanuts. Or pecans...
Do you know any Floridians who'd love to hear this news?
