Buc-ee’s to break ground on Georgia travel center



>> Click ahead to see the best holiday shopping you can do at Buc-ee's. Mike Wilson pours himself a soda at the Buc-ee's in Baytown. The chain's first store was in Lake Jackson. ﻿

>> Click ahead to see the best holiday shopping you can do at Buc-ee's. Mike Wilson pours himself a soda at the Buc-ee's in Baytown. The chain's first store was in Lake Jackson. ﻿ Photo: Michael Ciaglo Michael Ciaglo, Staff Photo: Michael Ciaglo Michael Ciaglo, Staff Image 1 of / 84 Caption Close Buc-ee’s to break ground on Georgia travel center 1 / 84 Back to Gallery

Buc-ee’s, the popular Texas road stop institution known for its immaculate bathrooms, plans to break ground on its first store in Georgia next week.

The 53,000-square-foot convenience store and gas station, on the southeast corner of Interstate 75 and Russell Parkway in Warner Robins, Ga., is scheduled to break ground on Nov. 18, and is expected to open in early 2021. The so-called travel center will feature 116 fuel pumps and thousands of snack and food options, including Texas barbecue, fudge, “Beaver” nuggets, jerky and pastries.

Buc-ee’s said it chose to build its latest store in Warner Robins because it is one of the fastest-growing cities in Georgia, home to the Robins Air Force Base and is between Atlanta and Florida. The store is expected to employ about 200 workers.

“We're excited to break ground in Warner Robins and provide people with a world-class option for their travel needs along the highway,” Buc-ee’s General Counsel Jeff Nadalo said in a statement.

RELATED: Buc-ee's opens an outpost in Alabama

Since it was founded in 1982, Buc-ee’s has mostly stuck to its Texas roots, operating 38 stores across the Lone Star State. A couple of years ago, the Lake Jackson company began looking to expand across the southeastern U.S., which shares a similar customer profile to Texas.

In January, Buc-ee’s opened a store in Baldwin County, Ala., the retailer’s first location outside of Texas. In September, the company broke ground on its first Florida store in Daytona Beach, which is expected to open in 2021, and plans to open others in St. Johns and Fort Myers.

Despite its Southeastern expansion, Buc-ee’s remains committed to Texas. The chain this year opened locations in Melissa and Royse City, both near Dallas.

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