The first Buc-ee’s gas station in North Carolina officially break ground in Mebane on Wednesday.
The Mebane location plans to open its doors in November 2027, according to a Buc-ee's spokesperson. The 74,000-square-foot-site will be located along Trollingwood-Hawfields Road, near the Interstate 40/I-85 interchange. The new Buc-ee's will have 120 spaces for drivers to fill up on gas and be about 20,000 square feet larger than the closest location in Florence, South Carolina.
Other WRAL Top Stories
Conversations about a Buc-ee’s moving to the area started back in 2021. The original plan was to build a Buc-ee’s in Orange County, but the move was blocked after the public voiced concerns.
The massive travel stop is known for stocking a large variety of merchandise and food -- including the sweet and salry Beaver Nuggets, brisket sandwiches, beef jerky and more. However, Mebane residents have voiced concerns about what the mega station could mean for congestion in the area.
The state Department of Transportation is widening the two-lane Trollingwood Hawfields Road to two lanes each way. to accommodate for the additional traffic.
Arch "Beaver" Aplin III, CEO of Bucee's, addressed the traffic concerns during his presentation at the groundbreaking.
"Most of the traffic we generate is going up and down the interstate anyway," Aplin said. "Although people call us a destination, I mean, the reality is they're traveling up and down the interstate, so we're just asking them to exit, shop local, and then continue on their trip."
A 2024 report shows the average person visiting Buc-ee's spends just over 20 minutes inside the store. That's more than twice as long as the average gas station visit, which is 8 to 9 minutes.
Buc-ee’s will bring at least 200 full-time jobs to Mebane.
