Buc-ee’s is building a roadside empire; its Kansas City location alone is projected to attract over 4 million annual visitors and generate more than $300 million in revenue. But while fans across the country clamor for their own taste of Beaver Nuggets, the company’s expansion model isn’t guided by demand. It’s driven by cold economic logic. Land, traffic, and state laws make some places a no-go. Let’s look at how Buc-ee’s picks winners, and why eight states never make the cut.
How Buc-ee’s Picks Its Location
To build a Buc-ee’s, you need space, at least 20 acres. That covers a 74,000-square-foot store, 120 gas pumps, and parking for thousands. Most of the revenue comes from in-store sales, not fuel, so real estate is everything. Their Kansas City build spans 25 acres and costs nearly $95 million in infrastructure alone. Many states simply don’t have cheap, highway-adjacent land big enough to meet these demands.
Highway Access Is Non-Negotiable
Every Buc-ee’s sits near a major highway intersection, typically 30 to 60 miles outside a big city. Why? That’s where land is cheaper, but traffic stays high. These sites connect city travelers and long-haul drivers alike. The model excludes states with mountainous terrain, limited interstates, or dense urban zones. Buc-ee’s doesn’t do rural backroads or pricey downtowns; it needs perfect access, and lots of it.
If the Cars Don’t Come, Buc-ee’s Won’t Either
Traffic volume is king. Buc-ee’s demands 4,000+ vehicles per day, and most of its locations exceed 13,000 car trips daily. Kansas City is expected to bring in over 5,000 daily visitors. States with scattered populations, seasonal traffic, or sparse road networks simply don’t hit the mark. No matter how eager the fans are, if the traffic math doesn’t work, Buc-ee’s walks away.
Now that we’ve looked at what makes Buc-ee’s tick, land, highways, labor, and incentives, let’s dig into the eight states that don’t measure up. Whether due to legal quirks, economic mismatch, or geographic constraints, these states are effectively out of Buc-ee’s orbit.
#1. New Jersey
New Jersey bans self-service fuel, forcing Buc-ee’s to hire hundreds more employees just to run the pumps. The company pays well, over $18 an hour, but staffing 120 pumps around the clock in New Jersey would double its usual labor force. The math breaks down fast. Until the state changes its fuel laws, Buc-ee’s expansion into New Jersey is firmly off the table.
#2. Nevada
Nevada has major interstates like I-80 and I-15, but they don’t intersect in a way that serves Buc-ee’s site model. Traffic outside Vegas and Reno thins out fast, and casino-focused tourism doesn’t align with Buc-ee’s family road trip crowd. Even with highways in place, Nevada lacks the specific setup that Buc-ee’s counts on to thrive.
#3. California
California’s tough environmental regulations are a logistical nightmare for Buc-ee’s. Fuel blend laws, zoning headaches, and years-long approval processes clash with the company’s fast-moving expansion model. Add sky-high land prices and strict labor laws, and you’ve got a state that’s just too expensive and too slow. Even die-hard fans agree, California is Buc-ee’s purgatory.
#4. Vermont
With only 643,000 residents, Vermont has fewer people than most Buc-ee’s trade areas. The state lacks major interstates, and highway traffic is minimal. Buc-ee’s counts on millions of annual visitors, but Vermont just doesn’t have the volume. It’s a beautiful place, sure, but its charm comes with a size problem Buc-ee’s can’t solve.
#5. Idaho
Idaho’s scenic drives don’t cut it for Buc-ee’s. The state is remote, lacks high-volume interchanges, and sits far from major metropolitan centers. Its roads serve local traffic, not the cross-country travelers Buc-ee’s thrives on. While Idaho is growing fast, its location in the Mountain West keeps it outside Buc-ee’s expansion comfort zone.
#6. North Dakota
North Dakota may have had an oil-fueled growth spurt, but it still can’t offer the consistent traffic Buc-ee’s needs. Harsh winters and a thin highway network lead to big seasonal dips in road use. Even with energy sector gains, the state lacks enough large cities or intersecting highways to support Buc-ee’s massive traffic and staffing needs.
#7. Alaska
Alaska isn’t just far away, it’s completely disconnected from the lower 48’s road system. Buc-ee’s relies on interstate highways linking big cities, and Alaska’s road network doesn’t fit that model. No amount of tourism or state pride can fix the core problem: Buc-ee’s needs road trip traffic, and Alaska’s isolation makes that impossible.
#8. Hawaii
Hawaii’s stunning views come with brutal logistics. Buc-ee’s needs daily shipments of fresh food, which becomes wildly expensive when crossing oceans. Add in high land prices, limited space, and a lack of long-distance highway traffic, and you’ve got a supply chain nightmare. Buc-ee’s just wasn’t built for island economics.
When Fans Want It More Than the Company Does
Buc-ee’s isn’t swayed by social media demands. Expansion decisions come down to complex data, traffic, land cost, and regulations. Even Texas cities have been turned down when they didn’t meet the mark. One example: Corinth, Texas, rejected a Buc-ee’s proposal over traffic concerns. It’s a reminder that even loyal fans can’t always sway the business math.
Sometimes the Culture Says “No” Too
Even if the geography and economics line up, culture can be a dealbreaker. In Palmer Lake, Colorado, locals shut down plans for a Buc-ee’s, arguing it clashed with their rural lifestyle. The brand works best in places that embrace highway travel and large-scale retail. In communities resistant to change, Buc-ee’s often doesn’t even try.
Why Buc-ee’s Strategy Says So Much About America
Buc-ee’s isn’t just building stores, it’s mapping the future of retail. Its expansion strategy shows how infrastructure, culture, and economics shape where big brands go next. In a world where retail chains once chased coast-to-coast domination, Buc-ee’s is doing the opposite. It’s targeting only the places that work. And for a lot of fans, that means waiting a very long time.