For years, Oklahoma motorists have crossed the Red River to get their Buc-ee’s fix. Now, the Texas-born travel center known for its oversized stores, rows of gas pumps, barbecue, Beaver Nuggets and famously large restrooms appears to be moving closer to planting its first flag in the Sooner State.
Documents filed with Oklahoma City officials identify a proposed Buc-ee’s at the northwest corner of Interstate 40 and Cimarron Road in far west Oklahoma City. The project is tied to a major reconstruction of the interchange, including improvementstothebridge, approaches and highway ramps.
For travelers who have made Buc-ee’s part of their road trips, the potential Oklahoma arrival represents more than another place to buy gasoline. “We keep this love in a photograph. We make these memories for ourselves.”
For many travelers, roadside stops become part of the memories attached to vacations, family trips and long drives across Texas andOklahoma.Buc-ee’shas built much of its reputation around becoming one of those stops.
The company began in Texas and has expanded well beyond its original home state, targeting major interstate corridors where large numbers of travelers can support its unusually large-format stores. Earlier reports indicated that Oklahoma was being considered as part of the company’s expansion strategy, but Buc-ee’s had not publicly committed to a specific Oklahoma site.
The proposed Oklahoma City location would put the travel center along Interstate 40, one of Oklahoma’s major east-west transportation routes. The highway connects Oklahoma City with communities across the state and with major markets to the east and west.
The location also places Buc-ee’s in a position to capture travelers who might otherwise continue through Oklahomawithoutstopping for an extended period. Calling Buc-ee’s a gas station hardly tells the whole story.
The company has turned the traditional highway fuel stop into a destination, combining gasoline with a massive convenience store offering prepared food, barbecue, snacks, bakery items, souvenirs, clothing and Texas-themed merchandise. Among its most recognizable products are brisket sandwiches, jerky, fudge, kolaches and Beaver Nuggets.
Then there are the restrooms, which have become almost as famous as the food. Buc-ee’s markets its large and clean restrooms as part of the overall travel experience, something that has helped separate the chain from conventional convenience stores.
The proposed Oklahoma City development is expected to bring hundreds of fueling positions and a large retail operation, creating a dramatically different footprint from a traditional roadside gas station. The arrival of Buc-ee’s could have an economic impact beyond the property where the store is built.
A major travel center can attractmotoristswhospend money not only inside the store but also at nearby hotels, restaurants and other businesses. At the same time, existing convenience stores and fuel stations along the same corridor could face increased competition from a company with an established national following.
The development is also expected to require substantial transportation improvements. Documents associated with the project callformajorimprovements to the I-40 and Cimarron Road interchange, designed in part to accommodate the additional traffic associated with the development.
That means the Bucee’s project is about more than putting up a building and installing gas pumps. Roads, traffic patterns, infrastructure costs and the responsibilities of local and state governments will all be part of the discussion as the project moves forward.
For generations, Oklahoma travelers have had their own familiar roadside stops, places where families pulled over for fuel, food and a break before continuing down the highway. Buc-ee’s has created a different version of that tradition.
Children may remember the giant beaver mascot. Parents may remember the barbecue.Travelersmayremember the rows of pumps, the enormous store or the bags of Beaver Nuggets brought home as souvenirs.
For Oklahoma motorists who have repeatedly seen Buc-ee’s signs while traveling through Texas, the possibility of having one inside the state could mark the beginning of a new roadside tradition. The Oklahoma City proposal remains subject to the approval and development process, meaning construction, infrastructure work and other requirements must still be addressed before motorists can pull into an Oklahoma Buc-ee’s.
However, if the project moves forward, the beaver that became a symbol of Texas road trips may soon become a familiar sight along an Oklahoma interstate. For travelers, that could mean the next family road trip may include one more stop, and one more memory to bring home.