Guess what?
The largest Buc-ee’s in the world just opened in Luling, Texas.
The remodel of an older, smaller Buc-ee’s, which was completed in June, transformed the store into a 75,593-foot temple to barbecue that is the largest convenience store in the entire world.
This is the fourth Buc-ee’s store to hold the title.
(Which is crazy when you think about it.)
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This is the third recently-opened Buc-ee’s to capture the crown.
Previous to last year, the largest convenience store in the world was the Buc-ee’s in New Braunfels, Texas.
It was “only” a little more than 70,000 square feet.
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New Braunfels was knocked off its throne when the new Buc-ee’s in Sevierville, Tennessee was opened in summer 2023, clocking in at 74,707 square feet.
Then the Buc-ee’s in Johnstown, Colorado opened in 2024, also at 74,707 square feet – tying for first until the Luling remodel was completed in June.
This is all part of a broader strategy Buc-ee’s has successfully deployed for years.
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To understand why Buc-ee’s keeps breaking its own world records, there are a couple really important things to know.
More specifically:
– Buc-ee’s is a small company – it was exclusively in Texas until it began to expand in 2019 – and management is really focused on curating an amazing customer experience
– Because of this, Buc-ee’s isn’t really a “convenience store” in the traditional sense – it’s a destination experience
– The company selects its locations very carefully to maximize this potential
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There are 48 Buc-ee’s stores in the United States, and they are way bigger than the typical convenience store – usually around 50,000 square feet vs around 3,000 square feet.
With so few stores, Buc-ee’s focuses on executing a differentiated customer experience.
(As I discovered when I visited one on a roadtrip in 2022.)
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Because of this, Buc-ee’s is pretty selective about where it places stores.
Generally speaking, what I’ve found is that they use a few criteria when evaluating potential locations:
– Find an interstate with lots of traffic, ideally between two big destinations (think San Antonio and Austin)
– Seek out a natural stopping point partway along that route (usually an exurb or bedroom community to a big city)
– Find a local government willing to strike a deal – tax breaks, rebates, incentives, what have you
– Buy up cheap land near the highway
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Because the Buc-ee’s isn’t right next to Disney World or the world’s largest ball of twine or any other destination…the goal is for it to BECOME the destination along the way.
To do that, you need an amazing experience, and Buc-ee’s delivers – clean bathrooms, great food, all kinds of knickknacks.
And to have all of that, you need LOTS of space.
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If Buc-ee’s is positioning itself as a destination for people on roadtrips…
And if people need to stop off somewhere anyway to gas up…
Why wouldn’t they stop at a convenience store that is or was a world record holder?
Wouldn’t you?
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As I mentioned, this new record-breaking Buc-ee’s is 75,593 square feet.
For comparison, that’s:
– 25 times bigger than the typical convenience store, which weighs in at about 3,000 square feet
– 16 times bigger than the average Sheetz, at roughly 4,700 square feet
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Ok fine, here are a few more. That’s:
– Almost double the size of your typical grocery store, which is usually about 40,000 square feet
– Over half the size of your typical Costco, which is about 146,000 square feet
– More than 40% of the size of a Wal-Mart Supercenter (182,000 square feet)
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In addition to owning the four largest convenience stores in the world, Buc-ee’s also holds another record:
For the longest car wash – clocking in at 255 feet long!
That’s held by the Buc-ee’s in Katy, Texas.
Because, why not?
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• For more news about Buc-ee’s, healthy living, and recipes, make sure to follow The Coconut Mama. Click here to access The Coconut Mama’s profile page and be sure to hit the Follow button here or at the top of this article!
• Have feedback? Add a comment below!
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I am confident that Buc-ee’s will open even larger stores in the future.
The size is the point.
It’s how you get the overwhelming (in a good way) experience.
It’s how you get the knicknacks.
It’s how you get all the great food!
How long do YOU think Luling will hold the record for largest convenience store? Sound off in the comments!
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