I thought I was satisfied with what gas stations could be.
Between the comforting variety of Sheetz, the faithful presence of GetGo and (on excursions east) occasional dalliances with Wawa, I thought I was more than set with roadside respites. Hearty sandwich options, a good variety of snacks and clean bathrooms — through in access to gasoline, and what more can a motorist need?
That’s when I first set foot in Buc-ee’s. And there, on the outskirts of Katy, Texas, I discovered what I had been missing — and what the future could hold, if our regional refueling chains decide to dream big.
For those who have not had the pleasure, Buc-ee’s is a chain of mammoth gas stations mostly found in Texas (only 10 can be found outside the Lone Star state; the nearest is in Richmond, Kentucky). From a distance, Buc-ee’s — marked by a smiling cartoon beaver, the amiable Mickey Mouse of this corporation — looks like a big gas station; you’ll note the Texas-sized number of pumps, but the layout is fundamentally the same.
Then you’ll approach. Perhaps you’ll first notice that the building is oddly large — about the size of a Dick’s Sporting Goods rather than a gas station. Maybe you’ll notice the smiling bronze beaver statue greeting guests. Or maybe you’ll notice that a decent number of the customers are actually wearing Buc-ee’s-branded merchandise to do their shopping. This, you will realize, is much more than a mere convenience store (although the location in New Braunfels does hold the record for the world’s largest convenience store — 68,000 square feet — and its restrooms have been called the best in America). buc ee's valentines shirt
Comments