New Buc-ee's C-store Stands Large in Texas

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas -- Texas doesn't do anything small and that includes convenience stores, as a new 68,000-square-foot Buc-ee's location proves.

The chain's latest store threw open its doors on Monday off northbound Interstate 35 at Exit 191 in New Braunfels. It features 60 fuel pumps and a women's restroom with 34 stalls. And while it may be confused with a movie theater, the offerings are purely convenience store – well, most of them anyway.

According to the Beaumont Enterprise, the store carries products typically sold in the channel such as carbonated soft drinks, chips and ice cream. However, this Buc-ee's store -- the 26th in the chain's portfolio -- also carries multiple varieties of jerky, fudge and kolaches, a type of pastry popular in central Europe.

But the differences don't end there. In many c-stores, it may be common to find Styrofoam coolers, but at this Buc-ee's, you will find bear-proof coolers and deer feeders. Beachwear and artwork are also for sale, according to the news report.

"It's pretty awesome," said Myrangelis Garcia of San Antonio, who stopped into the grand opening en route to Canyon Lake. "It's almost like a mixture of Bass Pro Shops and Academy and a restaurant, all in one."

The chain's biggest claim to fame among weary highway travelers is its spotless restrooms featuring lots of art and even more toilets, the newspaper added. "This is just the next step in our evolution of taking over the free world, one clean restroom at a time," said Dan Parkinson, general manager.

Other new features of the chain's largest-ever store include wider aisles, a farmers market and an indoor area for hunting equipment.

Rusty Brockman, director of economic development for the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce, said forecasts indicate that the store will host about 5,000 vehicles a day, generating an estimated $800,000 a year in sales tax for the city. The store has 250 employees.