Louisiana is about to get its first taste of Buc-ee’s.
The Texas-born travel center is holding a groundbreaking ceremony in Lafayette on Monday, November 9, marking the start of construction on its location in the Pelican State.
The 74,000-square-foot store is planned to serve the chain’s familiar mix of road-trip snacks and meals, including homemade fudge, Beaver Nuggets, jerky, and Texas barbecue. The company also promises thousands of other food and drink choices, plus its signature clean bathrooms. In its announcement, Buc-ee’s touted its “world’s cleanest bathrooms, freshest food, and friendliest beaver.”
The new location is expected to bring jobs to the area. Buc-ee’s says starting pay will be “well above minimum wage,” with benefits, a 6% 401(k) match and three weeks of paid vacation.
Buc-ee’s has also drawn attention for its management salaries. A widely shared pay listing showed general managers earning between $200,000 and $275,000 or more, while assistant general manager salaries start at $125,000.
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The Lafayette groundbreaking is part of a wider push beyond the company’s Texas roots. Founded in 1982, Buc-ee’s now operates 57 stores across 14 states. It opened its first store outside Texas in 2019 and has since announced plans for new locations in several more states, including Wisconsin, Kansas, and North Carolina.
The company opened its first Arkansas location in Benton in August. During that store’s grand opening, CEO Arch Aplin III spoke about how local support can shape where the chain expands next.
“We have a lot of opportunities,” he said in a video shared by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “We’re growing, we’re building in a lot of places, but when you find a conservative, business-friendly state with a phenomenal workforce, it makes a difference.”
Aplin added, “I’m starting to realize life’s too short to try to build in places that people don’t appreciate what you’re bringing.”
As for Lafayette, the chain has not shared an opening date for the new travel center.
This story was originally published by Parade on Nov 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the Food & Drink section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Dining and Cooking