North Carolina’s first Buc-ee’s is still on the way, but the wait now looks longer than expected. When we last covered construction on North Carolina’s first Buc-ee’s, the travel center in Mebane was targeting a late-2027 opening. Buc-ee’s own website now lists the location for 2028.
That is a meaningful change for drivers hoping to make the massive gas station and snack stop part of next year’s road trips. The company has not announced an exact opening day or explained what caused the timeline to shift, so 2028 should be treated as an estimate—not a guaranteed date.
What changed in North Carolina?
Back in June, Buc-ee’s representatives were discussing November 2027 as the expected opening for the Mebane store. The company held a ceremonial groundbreaking on June 10, and work at the property was already underway.
Now the official Buc-ee’s opening schedule places Mebane, North Carolina, in 2028. The website cautions that all listed opening dates are estimates and can change.
That makes the company’s current schedule the best guide for anyone wondering when the store will actually welcome customers. Older articles mentioning November 2027 reflect what officials expected at the time, not the latest published target.
Importantly, the updated year does not mean the project has been canceled. Buc-ee’s continues to include Mebane on its upcoming-locations list, and the store already has an approved site and a public groundbreaking behind it.
Where the store is being built
The travel center is planned for 1425 Trollingwood-Hawfields Road, near Exit 152 from Interstates 40 and 85 in Alamance County. That puts it between the Greensboro and Durham areas, within reach of both local drivers and long-distance travelers crossing central North Carolina.
The planned store covers roughly 74,000 square feet and includes 120 fueling positions. The project is also expected to bring around 200 full-time jobs to the area.
It will be North Carolina’s first Buc-ee’s. The closest existing location for many residents is across the state line in Florence, South Carolina, so the Mebane project remains a big deal even with the longer wait.
Why an opening date is still hard to pin down
The project involves more than building a store. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has been widening Trollingwood-Hawfields Road and upgrading the nearby interstate interchange to handle additional traffic.
Those improvements are part of the larger development picture, but Buc-ee’s has not publicly said that road construction is the reason for its updated 2028 estimate. It would be premature to assign a specific cause without that confirmation.
For now, the clearest takeaway is simple: North Carolina’s first Buc-ee’s remains a real, active project, but the company’s own timeline no longer points to 2027. Anyone planning a visit should watch for a more specific announcement as construction progresses.
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