Texas Wants to Know

Texas Wants to Know: How Buc-ee's Built an Empire on Clean Toilets and Beaver Nuggets

Listen to Texas Wants to Know in the Audacy app or wherever you get your podcasts

Frank Heinz, NBC 5 News

If you've ever traveled throughout the state of Texas, then you've seen a billboard with a cartoon image of a beaver with a phrase like, "It’s the brisket for me." Buc-ee's uses billboards along highways to capture the attention of hungry drivers looking for a gas station oasis.

But University of Texas lecturer Chris Aarons tells Baylee Friday a basic necessity helped build Buc-ee's popularity.

"It's a business built on porcelain," he said. "Those bathrooms are really important. That's what we're all worried about because we've gone into sketchy roadside gas stations where the bathroom is broken."

It's not just necessities, it's size too. In November, Buc-ee's broke ground on what will be its biggest store yet: a 74,000-square-foot store in Luling, Texas.

"If you're thinking about how to create a business, create a brand that surprises, delights, and just gives you a sense of wow from walking in. Size helps that," Aarons said. "Buc-ee's started in Texas and everything's supposed to be bigger in Texas."

Baylee also talked to Buc-ee's customers to answer the question: Is Buc-ee's worth the hype?

Listen to Texas Wants to Know in the Audacy app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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