The Texas-based convenience store chain Buc-ee's opened its first Virginia location yesterday and is set to debut a new Georgia store today, marking the latest phase of the company's aggressive expansion across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.
Virginia's inaugural Buc-ee's welcomed customers at 6 a.m. Monday in Rockingham County near Harrisonburg, just off Interstate 81. Hours later, the company's third Georgia location in Brunswick is scheduled to open today. The dual openings represent more than $120 million in combined investment and roughly 400 jobs across both states.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin attended Monday's ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 74,000-square-foot facility, which features 120 fuel pumps, 20 electric vehicle charging stations, and 600 parking spaces12. The Virginia project alone brought a $60 million investment and 200 jobs to Rockingham County34.
"Here we are today with the first — of many — Buc-ee's in the Commonwealth of Virginia," Youngkin said during the ceremony, according to Northern Virginia Magazine2. The governor had previously welcomed the project on social media, noting it represented "200 jobs and an investment of more than 60 million dollars in Rockingham County"5.
The Virginia location becomes Buc-ee's most northeastern outpost, positioning the brand to capture traffic between Washington D.C. and destinations like Shenandoah National Park65. According to Fox Business, the site is located about 2.5 hours west of the nation's capital6.
Founded in 1982 by Arch "Beaver" Aplin III, Buc-ee's has grown from a single Texas location to a regional phenomenon known for oversized stores, clean restrooms, and cult-like customer loyalty1. The company estimates individual stores generate $50-100 million annually, with two-thirds of revenue coming from in-store sales rather than fuel23.
Buc-ee's began expanding outside Texas in 2018 and now operates in multiple states including Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Colorado, Missouri, Mississippi, and Virginia1. The company has announced plans for 11 new locations, including additional Virginia sites in New Kent County by 2027 and Stafford County pending zoning approval45.
According to Management Consulted, the chain attracts over 100 million annual store visitors across all locations, generating an estimated $2.5-5 billion in total revenue2. The expansion strategy deliberately targets locations near major metropolitan areas while maintaining access to affordable land for multi-acre developments3.
