Skip to content
playmaker logo 1
Facebook Linkedin Instagram
SUBSCRIBE
  • Articles
    • Feature Stories
    • Trends / Innovation
    • Human Interest
    • Quality of Life
    • Community Planning
    • Economic Development
    • Community Operations
    • News
  • Community Spotlights
    • Community of the Year
  • Playmakers
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • All Issues
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
  • Events
    • Summit: SC
  • Articles
    • Feature Stories
    • Trends / Innovation
    • Human Interest
    • Quality of Life
    • Community Planning
    • Economic Development
    • Community Operations
    • News
  • Community Spotlights
    • Community of the Year
  • Playmakers
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • All Issues
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
  • Events
    • Summit: SC
Facebook Twitter Instagram
  • Economic Development

The Buc-ee’s Effect

By

Natalie Hamren
playmaker favicon
January 11, 2024 2:44PM EST
Buc ee's Coming Soon

Image courtesy of the City of Springfield, MO

You see it miles and miles before you get to the exit. A billboard with a goofy-looking beaver, a punny saying, and the distance you have remaining to get to that special exit. When you finally reach a Buc-ee’s (and park your car), you’re transported to a place that’s massive in scope. Less like a 7-Eleven and more like a Target, Buc-ee’s is not just a chain of gas stations and country stores; it’s a cultural phenomenon. The Texas-based business opened its first store in Clute, Texas, in 1982. The founder, Arch “Beaver” Aplin, created the name Buc-ee’s by combining his childhood nickname and his dog’s name, Buck. Over 40 years later, Buc-ee’s is a cult classic among travelers and brisket enthusiasts alike.

When a community leader sees a Buc-ee’s, they may see revenue, economic impact, and new jobs. In Texas alone, Buc-ee’s stores generated $641 million of economic impact, supported nearly 5,000 jobs, and generated $13.4 million in indirect sales tax. Now you may wonder, “How do I get a Buc-ee’s to come to my town?”

Image courtesy of the City of Springfield, MO

How Buc-ee’s Finds Homes

Chances are you’ve seen billboards advertising for Buc-ee’s while driving throughout the United States. Many of these locations can be found far away from major metro areas. Communities such as Fort Valley, Georgia, Robertsdale, Alabama, and Florence, South Carolina, are home to a Buc-ee’s location. These locations may seem random, but it’s all a part of the company’s strategy for site selection.

The company primarily scouts for locations with a sufficient volume of travelers passing through their area, according to Jeff Nadalo, Buc-ee’s general counsel.

“Secondly, we look for jurisdictions that are friendly to business. Then, we are also looking for locations where there’s a good workforce,” Nadalo says.

Buc-ee’s tends to choose locations outside major cities because most travelers don’t stop immediately after leaving their front door. “[Travelers] want to stop well into their journey,” Nadalo says. “Having locations that are a reasonable distance between where they’re headed and where they’ve come from makes sense.”

For their part, Nadalo says Buc-ee’s brings a “very robust” sales tax to these communities, revenue that might not have otherwise reached the area. Additionally, the company typically requires substantial improvement to existing resources in the area—such as utilities or roadways.

“Those improvements and enhancements come at a cost,” Nadalo says. “And, so obviously, we look to the local areas to partner with us to make it economically viable to build a site in their location.”

Buc-ee’s is Coming to the Rockies

Buc-ee’s first location in the Rockies will open in Johnstown, Colorado (pop. 18,636) in March 2024. The company reached out to the town in 2021, inquiring about expanding into Colorado, Sarah Crosthwaite, Johnstown Economic Development Manager, says.

Crosthwaite says Johnstown quickly started conversations with Buc-ee’s about its business, customer base, and sales tax revenue. Crosthwaite and other Johnstown employees visited a Buc-ee’s for “due diligence” to their community before bringing the request to the city council.

One of the incentives Buc-ee’s requested was a timeline, which Crosthwaite says communities often don’t even consider as an incentive. Buc-ee’s wanted to know, as they were submitting plans throughout the process, that Johnstown would submit and provide feedback in a timely manner.

The other incentive the company requested was specific sales tax revenue, which Buc-ee’s often does in the communities where they are located, Crosthwaite says.

“Buc-ee’s, for us, and its location is a catalyst for the future development of that corridor, which is Highway 60… As you go further south along our Highway 60 corridor, for a very long time, there wasn’t much development happening there,” Crosthwaite says. “The town made a lot of investments in terms of our utilities infrastructure, which helped facilitate the development of Buc-ee’s.”

Image courtesy of the City of Springfield, MO

Buc-ee’s Locations Allow Future Development

Nestled off I-44, between St. Louis and Oklahoma City is the city of Springfield (pop. 170,067), home to the first Buc-ee’s in Missouri.

Springfield Director of Economic Vitality Amanda Ohlensehlen says the new Buc-ee’s will generate new sales tax revenue for the city, provide quality jobs with strong wages and benefits, and open up additional land for development along the I-44 corridor.

“This is a really strategic and important project for the city of Springfield, and it’s opening up nearly 1,000 acres of land north of I-44 with the extension of critical infrastructure,” Ohlensehlen says.

Through research and estimates provided by Buc-ee’s, Ohlensehlen says the new location will serve around six million customers annually, with 80 percent of that customer base traveling more than 20 miles away, providing Springfield with sales tax revenue to help fund “critical services” in the city.

The Springfield City Council approved an infrastructure reimbursement agreement for the Buc-ee’s project that helps fund public and community improvements, Ohlensehlen says.

Ohlensehlen expresses that the feedback about Buc-ee’s in Springfield has been positive. Across all city departments, people have been asking about the new location, how to apply for jobs, and other information.

“Even though we may not have a direct role in some of those questions, we certainly are fielding inquiries regularly,” Ohlensehlen says. “So it does seem like there is a lot of excitement here locally for Buc-ee’s.”

While Buc-ee’s growth has previously been slow, the company is ramping up in the coming year. Along with stores in Missouri and Colorado, Buc-ee’s is also adding stores in Kentucky, two more in Texas, and what will become the world’s largest franchise location in Ocala, Florida (40 minutes south of the University of Florida.) And while more stores mean more delicious brisket, it also means major economic impact for small communities.

Latest News

20200226 Via 06

Discovery

Filling the Gap

  • June 18, 2025
Peter Urscheler

Playmaker

Next Generation Mayor: Peter Urscheler of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania

  • June 11, 2025
Fan Fest

Discovery

Raleigh Is on a Roll

  • June 6, 2025
Kino Sports Complex

Discovery

The Rise of Kino Sports Complex

  • April 15, 2025
2024UHI Info en title lg

Discovery

How Cities Are Cooling Off Heat Islands

  • April 10, 2025
Publix Supermarket demolished by a tornado from Hurricane Milton

Discovery

How Cities Recover From Natural Disasters

  • March 28, 2025
Recycling gray garbage truck driving on highway with motion blur speed effect.

Discovery

Turning Trash Into Treasure: Innovative Waste Management Trends

  • March 20, 2025
TheRose Exterior

Spotlight

Dumfries, VA, Dreams Big

  • March 12, 2025
The Star Entertainment District 00009

Listicle

Honor Roll

  • March 6, 2025
austin texas skyline during sunset

Spotlight

Austin, TX: Balancing Boom With Culture

  • February 27, 2025

Share This Article

More Discoveries

2023 CoB Winter 51

The Future of Main Street

  • February 7, 2025
Road Construction Workers

Cities Are Struggling to Hire – Here’s How They’re Fighting Back

  • January 31, 2025
Arianna Grainey/City of Tempe

Tempe’s Transit Transformation

  • January 23, 2025
SMTN LeeBrice 56

From Strikeouts to Sellouts

  • January 23, 2025

SUBSCRIBE

Be among the first to read the latest Community Playmaker magazine!

WEEKLY NEWS & LATEST PLAYMAKER STORIES:

SUBSCRIBE & BE INSPIRED

playmaker logo 1
Facebook Twitter Instagram

Community Playmaker is a platform dedicated to providing solutions and ideas for visionary local government leaders, AKA ‘Playmakers’.

Facebook Linkedin Instagram
  • Privacy Policy

topics

  • Feature Stories
  • Community Spotlights
  • Playmakers
  • About
  • News
  • Magazine
  • Community of the Year

Magazine

  • January 2024
  • April 2024
  • July 2024
  • October 2024

Playmaker Events

  • Summits 2024

Connect with playmaker

  • Advertising
    [email protected]
  • Stories
    [email protected]
  • News
    [email protected]
  • General Inquiries
    [email protected]

© 2025 Community Playmaker. All Rights Reserved. Design by Thirteen05 Creative.

playmaker logo 1
Facebook Instagram Linkedin

Main Navigation

  • Articles
    • Feature Stories
    • Trends / Innovation
    • Human Interest
    • Quality of Life
    • Community Planning
    • Economic Development
    • Community Operations
    • News
  • Community Spotlights
    • Community of the Year
  • Playmakers
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • All Issues
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
  • Events
    • Summit: SC
  • Articles
    • Feature Stories
    • Trends / Innovation
    • Human Interest
    • Quality of Life
    • Community Planning
    • Economic Development
    • Community Operations
    • News
  • Community Spotlights
    • Community of the Year
  • Playmakers
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • All Issues
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
  • Events
    • Summit: SC

features

Ballpark Figures: The Impact of Sports Tourism Goes Beyond Filling Hotels and Restaurants for Destinations With Premier Facilities

Fairground Frontier: How Fairgrounds Evolved Into Prime Redevelopment Hubs

Buying Power: Brick-And-Mortar Stores Prove Valuable Assets to Communities Despite the Rise Of E-Commerce

  • 3 Grants to Help Close the Digital Divide
  • Will The Pickleball Bubble Burst?
  • From Brownfield To Brewery: How Delaware Is Revitalizing Through Redevelopment

playmakers

Next Generation Mayor: Peter Urscheler of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania

A Work of Art

Gen Z Powerhouse: How One of America’s Youngest Elected Officials is Shaping Indianapolis

  • Mayor Stan Hogeland – City Of Gardendale, AL
  • Glenn Weiss – Boynton Beach, FL

Community spotlight

Dumfries, VA, Dreams Big

Austin, TX: Balancing Boom With Culture

High Tee

  • What Makes Naples The Pickleball Capital Of The World?
  • How One YouTuber Transformed A Small Town Through Quilting

Contact Us

  • Advertising
  • Stories
  • News
  • About

Latest news

VIEW ALL
Peter Urscheler

Playmaker

Next Generation Mayor: Peter Urscheler of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania

  • June 11, 2025
TheRose Exterior

Spotlight

Dumfries, VA, Dreams Big

  • March 12, 2025
The Star Entertainment District 00009

Listicle

Honor Roll

  • March 6, 2025
austin texas skyline during sunset

Spotlight

Austin, TX: Balancing Boom With Culture

  • February 27, 2025

Subscribe

Stay In The Know