Buc-ee's is the largest convenience store in the world. What? How big is the largest convenience store anyway?
Their signs are all along Highway 75 (the N S route in E. Tennessee). This Beaver claims to have the cleanest potties anywhere. I thought it was a porta-potty company for months. Why so much to do about a porta-potty company? How weird?
Ok, that's what we heard, "largest convenience store" (still not putting the Beaver together with the picture), so we drove 1.5 hours to Georgia to see it for ourselves.
Surprising, unique, and worth the drive!
Well, coolio, were are getting two of our own Buc-ee's in Tennessee this year! One is in Crossville, and the other in Sevierville.
Both are about an hour away from us in different directions.
The Crossville Buc-ee's is opening soon and has a huge job fair coming up next week.
"Buc-ee's Crossville will hold a mass hiring event on May 17-19. The company is bringing 250 new jobs with starting pay at $16-18 an hour with benefits, including a 6% matching 401k and three weeks of paid vacation."
Hmm, not bad for a super fun place to work. It's like a circus inside the store.
The company broke ground in June on the Crossville location on Genesis Road. It's going to be 53,000 square feet, and the Sevierville store is going to be 75,000 square feet. It's almost a third larger.
The Sevier County store is going in right at the 407 Exit off I-40. It's part of the 407: Gateway to Adventure. This 200-acre development will include shops and restaurants developed by Kituwah and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
These two new stores are part of Buc-ee's multi-state expansion across the South, joining two Florida, Georgia, and Alabama locations. Buc-ee's broke ground on its first Kentucky location in April.
Buc-ee's continues to operate 38 locations in Texas, where it was founded almost four decades ago. They have many fun departments in the store. They are all huge, incidentally.
There's a ginormous jerky shop with, I don't know how many kinds of jerky. The counter is probably 40 feet long in itself. Their famous BBQ sandwiches are in the middle of the store (probably the most popular attraction), featuring fresh (shredded and chopped right in front of you)BBQ pulled pork, BBQ brisket, and BBQ turkey sandwiches. Did I already mention that they are all smothered and dripping in their famous BBQ sauce?
There is a full menu of other foods, every drink imaginable, hardware, automotive, home goods, pets department, children's department, clothing, home goods, a fudge shop, a roasted and candied nut shop, the jerky, deli, BBQ foods, and the traditional convenience store with HUGE isles.
They also have the acclaimed and voted cleanest restrooms in the world for convenience store (and they are HUGE). You almost want to have to use them when you go just to see them.
There are literally hundred-plus gas pumps, and some have car washes.
You could spend 2-3 hours in here literally with no problem.
So next time in Tennesee, ya'll gotta' take a trip to one of our new acclaimed Buc-cees.
