By Kyle Roberts
Call it your favorite gas station or heavenly rest stop or the only place to get a Dr Pepper Icee and Beaver Nuggets.
Just don’t you dare call it a truck stop.
What has become a staple for travelers in the Southeast originally started as a humble 3,000 square foot store in Lake Jackson, Texas in 1982 by Arch Alpin III. Alpin named the first store “Buc-ee’s” in homage to his lab Buck, and the store still stands as an historic monument as a precursor to his successful convenience store empire. Shortly afterward in 1985, Alpin partnered with Don Wasnek to launch a second store in Lake Jackson, as well.
Taking a different approach from what would be considered a normal gas station, Aplin and Wasnek started to offer more than just gas and conventional snacks. Stores would have fishing equipment, restaurant quality food and even live music.
Since then, over 40 travel centers have blossomed all over Texas and into places as far east as Kentucky, South Carolina and Florida thanks in large part to Alpin and Wasnek’s collective vision for growth and business acumen along with immaculate amenities and sundries not found in the average fuel stop.
And now, with the chance of a location in Ruston, Buc-ee’s would finally call Louisiana home, as well.
Be sure to tune in daily as the Lincoln Parish Journal continues its coverage of the Buc-ee’s possibility.
Information for this story was pulled from Southern Living Magazine and Forbes.
