Beloved Texas convenience store chain Buc-ee’s is branching out to a new state

A beloved Texas-based chain of convenience stores is planning a westward expansion.

Buc-ee’s, a chain of stores and gas stations with locations in Texas, Alabama, Georgia and Florida, will open a new location in Johnstown, Colorado, in 2024. The store will be the first of the chain’s locations outside the southern United States.

The chain also plans to open new locations in Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi between 2022 and 2026, according to the brand’s Contact Us page.

Buc-ee’s, founded in 1982, has 40 locations, most of which are in Texas, according to My San Antonio. The brand began expanding into other states in the South in 2019, and an upcoming store in Tennessee will be its biggest one ever, the outlet reported.

Buc-ee’s is regarded by many Texans not just as a convenience store, but as a road trip destination, ABC 7 reported. The brand is known for its large stores, original food products including fresh barbecue and fudge, merchandise, and clean and spacious bathrooms, which have even won awards, according to the Buc-ee’s website.

Johnstown is about 45 miles north of Denver.