The world’s largest Buc-ee’s is headed to Dolly Parton’s hometown. The roadside chain with a cultlike following says it will open its latest store near Sevierville, Tenn., on June 26. This will be the company’s 46th location—and it’s going to be hard to miss.
The new store will cover 74,000 square feet—equivalent to about 1.2 football fields—and will serve up everything from fountain drinks and jerky to brisket and homemade fudge. It will have 120 fuel pumps and (coming soon) a car wash that’s more than 200 feet long.
The new store will be about 15 miles north of Dollywood. The chain says it will bring 200-plus jobs to the area.
It’s a monster of a store, but it won’t be the world’s largest for long. The chain is in the midst of construction of a 75,000-square-foot location in Luling, Texas.
Founded in 1982, Buc-ee’s has become an institution for those taking road trips throughout the South. The chain has 34 Texas locations and another dozen in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Work is underway for stores in Colorado, Missouri, and Virginia, as well.
With its cartoon beaver mascot and reputation for the cleanest restrooms in the country, it’s a pit stop unlike any other. Travelers have made it a destination for picking up such unique offerings as Beaver Nuggets (a snack made of caramel-, sugar-, and butter-coated corn puffs), Dr. Pepper Icees, buckets of bacon grease (really—7.3 lbs worth!), and kolaches (a Czech pastry with sausage and cheese).
Other highlights include the jerky wall, a counter full of barbecue, and dozens of varieties of pickles.