When will much-hyped Buc-ee’s gas station open in SC? Company finally sets opening date
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the planned opening date for the new Buc-ee’s travel center in Florence.
We’re still waiting on those beaver nuggets.
Yes, beaver nuggets, the sugary hallmark of Buc-ee’s travel centers, the famous Texas-based gas station chain that is quickly expanding across the South, from Florida to Georgia to Alabama.
In November 2020, Buc-ee’s held a groundbreaking ceremony for what will become its first location in South Carolina. The event, full of fanfare, featured a host of prominent attendees, including the company’s owner, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster, Florence Mayor Teresa Myers and half a dozen other elected officials.
More than a year later, the travel center’s planned opening now has been delayed several months.
The new location is in Florence off of Interstate 95. With 120 fuel pumps and thousands of square feet of food and retail, Buc-ee’s won’t be like any other gas station in the region.
“It is a wonderful thing what is happening in South Carolina, and we can keep it up with the kind of leadership, we have,” McMaster said at the groundbreaking, referencing recent economic development efforts around the state. “Buc-ee, I got to say, we never closed in South Carolina. We slow down a little bit, but we don’t close. And we’re almost fully back to full speed now. And you won’t have to worry about businesses being closed in South Carolina. We know how to be careful without doing that.”
Buc-ee’s said it is investing $35 million into Florence County by opening the travel center, which will create 200 jobs, with full benefits included.
Officials said during that groundbreaking that the Buc-ee’s was expected to open late last year. But the gas station appears to have fallen prey to the many delays faced by new businesses across the nation. In July, the Florence Chamber of Commerce wrote in a blog post that the gas station was taking shape and expected to open in early 2022. (Drive-bys in October showed the gas station’s main building looked to be mostly finished.)
In January, a representative for Buc-ee’s says they are looking at this summer as the opening date for the gas station, three years after it was first announced by the company.
“We are so excited about that location,” the representative said in an email. “Right now, it’s looking like it will be Summer 2022.”
In April, though, the company finally set a grand opening date: May 16!
“We know our customers will enjoy Buc-ee’s favorite food options, including Texas barbeque, homemade fudge, Beaver Nuggets, a large selection of jerky, and freshly prepared pastries,” the company said in a statement.
Now that the grand opening is so close, the company said it is looking to fill more than 175 jobs at the store. Starting pay ranges between $18 and $22 per hour and includes full benefits, 401k matching, medical insurance, dental insurance, and three weeks of paid time off.
The gas station is known for its ubiquitous gas pumps, award-winning clean bathrooms, Texas BBQ and extensive retail shop.
This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 10:27 AM.
