Buc-ee's used the opening of its 58th location in Benton, Arkansas, to say something about where it wants to keep growing. On Aug. 17, CEO Arch Aplin III told the grand opening ceremony that the chain prefers to expand in conservative, business-friendly states.
That matters now because Buc-ee's is not slowing down. The company has already opened its first locations in Ohio and Arizona this year, opened in Virginia in 2025 and debuted in Colorado a year earlier. It also expects inaugural locations in Louisiana, Kansas and Wisconsin by the end of 2027, which turns one executive's choice of words into a map of where the chain is headed next.
Aplin framed the strategy as practical as much as political. He said the company has opportunities in many places, but that the right mix includes a phenomenal workforce and local leaders who support the concept from the governor's office down through the congressman, senator, mayor and representatives. He also said it is becoming clear that life is too short to keep building in places that do not appreciate what Buc-ee's is bringing, compared with places where people do.
That helps explain why the Benton opening drew attention beyond the ribbon-cutting. Buc-ee's, founded in 1982, has become one of the Lone Star State's most recognizable exports and built a cult-like following around its clean restrooms and food offerings. At the same time, the company has faced fresh scrutiny over trademark lawsuits, including a dispute with Beaver's Mini Mart in Beavercreek, Ohio, and criticism from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who called one of those cases ridiculous.
Crissy Gonzales previously said the Murfreesboro, Tennessee, location will open on Nov. 16, another sign that Buc-ee's is still pushing into new markets even as Aplin signals a narrower filter for where it wants to plant its next stores. The unresolved question is not whether the chain will keep expanding, but which states will clear the bar he just described.
