Luling breaks ground on the biggest Buc-ee's in the country

There's a saying that everything is bigger in Texas. Now, thanks to a groundbreaking in Luling, that's once again true.

A new 75,000 square foot Buc-ee's is under construction in Luling. The new store will be slightly larger than the 74,000 sq. ft. Buc-ee's in Tennessee that currently holds the record for the world's largest convenience store.

“It’s big,” said Caldwell County Judge Hoppy Haden.

Big in terms of size and impact for Luling. The Central Texas community is a small town looking for ways to get bigger. Its population is struggling to hit 6,000 and without an influx of jobs, more people could be forced down the road to find work. It’s why breaking ground on the biggest Buc-ee’s in the country means so much to Luling and in particular to the Caldwell County Judge.

“This is probably one of the biggest deals to come to Caldwell County in a long, long time,” said Haden. “Buc-ee’s is kind of part of the fabric of Luling.”

The judge worked tirelessly on this expansion deal so young people wouldn’t have to commute 30 minutes or an hour to work.

“I have five children and not one of them still lives in Caldwell County because back when they were graduating there were no jobs here,” said Haden. “We would like people to commute here instead of us commuting there.”

The current Buc-ee’s was built in Luling 20 years ago. The store covers about 35,000 square feet and employs 100 people. The new mega Buc-ee’s will be more than double that size and will require double the work force.

“We’ll have 250 plus employees,” said Arch “Beaver” Aplin III, owner of Buc-ee’s. “It is a big deal for the small towns.”

Aplin knows what the Luling store did for the Buc-ee's brand 20 years ago and is ready to pay it forward by putting the most Texas BBQ, beaver nuggets, bathrooms and gas pumps where the mega store concept first started.

“Call me sentimental but this was the first travel center store 20 years ago and I wanted to do it right here in the same location,” said Aplin.

Customers like Kelly Wainscott can’t wait for more of everything to come to Luling.

“The Beaver nuggets are huge. We love the brisket sandwiches,” said Wainscott. “Plus, the shopping.”

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Wainscott says the expansion makes sense because of increasingly long lines for bathrooms and at checkout.

“This one needs to be larger because of the traffic coming in and out from travelers,” said Wainscott.

The current Luling store will stay open until the new Buc-ee’s is completed in the field right next to it. Construction will take about 16 months and then Texas will edge out Tennessee for bragging rights to being home to the biggest Buc-ee’s in the country.

“Everything is bigger and better in Texas. Always has been and always will be,” said Aplin.