With the real estate deal closed, it’s official: Buc-ee’s will open 1st MS store on Coast
The popular chain of travel centers known as Buc-ee’s is officially coming to South Mississippi.
Listing agent and broker Emily McDougall of Mississippi South Realty said the sale closed Thursday.
Buc-ee’s bought 43 acres of a 183-acre parcel on the northwest corner of Menge Avenue and Interstate 10. Millions will be spent to improve the exit so customers can easily reach the store.
“It’s a big deal because it will bring millions in revenue to the state and provide hundreds of jobs to local residents,” McDougall said. “It’s not just a convenience store or a gas station. It’s more like an experience.”
The deal has been in the works since July 2019, she said, with the Harrison County Development Commission and Board of Supervisorsworking to secure the wildly popular franchise. Buc-ee’s originated in Texas and now has more than 50 locations in Texas, Florida, Alabama and Georgia, according to its website.
This will be the first Buc-ee’s in Mississippi.
Buc-ee’s more like ‘an amusement park’
The closest franchise to the Mississippi Coast is in Loxley, Alabama, just east of Mobile.
Buc-ee’s has not yet announced a construction timeline for the Mississippi store. But its website says Buc-ee’s broke ground for a store in Auburn, Alabama, in October that will be open in a year.
Bill Lavers, HCDC executive director, previously told the Sun Herald that Interstate 10 will be widened from two lanes to five at Menge Avenue, which will take about two years to complete. Lavers, who could not be reached to comment Friday, previously told the Sun Herald plans call for $15 million in improvements to the interchange.
McDougall said the Mississippi Coast Buc-ee’s is expected to be one of the chain’s largest mega-stores. Buc-ee’s is known for its size, clean restrooms, trademark snacks, multitude of gasoline pumps, and beaver mascot.
The stores are geared to families and travelers and do not permit 18-wheelers, she said.
Buc-ee’s also is expanding into Tennessee. “We say it’s like an amusement park with gas pumps,” an assistant general manager told WVLT-TV in Knoxville.
Staff Writer Mary Perez contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 31, 2021 at 1:53 PM.
