| Buc-ee’s was born in 1982. Arch Aplin III, a recent college grad who came from a line of general store owners, built his first gas station and convenience store in the small Texas town of Lake Jackson. He named his company for his Labrador retriever, Buck; and a childhood nickname, Bucky Beaver, who was also a cartoon character in a toothpaste ad. In true Texas fashion, Aplin made his store bigger than his competitors’, a prelude to the chain’s supersize future. For nearly four decades, Buc-ee’s was unique to Texas, where it gained a rapturous following for its brisket sandwiches, Beaver Nuggets (sweet corn puffs) and red-shirted mascot who appears on most items in the store. The company has since expanded to several states. Read more in our 2023 story about the self-proclaimed largest convenience store in the world. On Instagram |
