Cult-Favorite Gas Station Buc-ee’s Opens in Florence, South Carolina

Texas-born roadside chain Buc-ee’s will open it’s first South Carolina location at 3390 North Williston Road in Florence on Monday, May 16. Travelers on I-95 can spot the giant beaver-emblazoned building with rows and rows of gas pumps from the highway.

Many Texans will argue that Buc-ee’s is the best gas station around for its super clean bathrooms and ridiculously large selection of snacks, meals, and drink options. The most well-known packaged item at Buc-ee’s is a snack named Beaver Nuggets. Eater reporter Amy McCarthy describes it as “a sweet, crunchy corn snack with a flavor reminiscent of caramel.” Beaver Nuggets share shelves with dozens of varieties of trail mix, nuts, and dried fruits and vegetables.

Buc-ee’s locations are famous for entire walls full of gummy candies, rows of jams and jellies, glass cases of 24 different flavors of fudge, and counters full of beef jerky, smoked sausages, and other cured meats. In addition to the grab-and-go snacks, Buc-ee’s also offers a quick-service restaurant serving brisket sandwiches, breakfast tacos, a pastrami reuben and many other items.

Founded in 1982, the Buc-ee’s chain slowly built a cult following in Texas, and in 2001, owner Arch “Beaver” Aplin expanded the convenience store into a full-fledged travel center in Luling, Texas. More locations popped up across the state in the following years, and in 2019, the chain expanded outside of the state.

The Florence location of Buc-ee’s will sit on more than 53,000 square feet and offer 120 gas pumps — because it’s not just all about the snacks, right?