Dive Brief:
- Buc-ee’s has taken the early steps toward building one of its extra-large convenience stores in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, about 12 miles south of downtown Milwaukee, according to documents filed with the Oak Creek Plan Commission.
- This is the second site in Wisconsin that Buc-ee’s has begun working on, following a location in DeForest, about 90 miles west of Oak Creek. However, the DeForest location faced delays last year, and it’s unclear when that store will open.
- Buc-ee’s has continued to make inroads in a number of states throughout the country, joining banners like QuikTrip and Wawa in expanding their reach.
Dive Insight:
The Oak Creek Buc-ee’s is planned to feature a 74,000-square-foot c-store with 120 fueling positions in the forecourt. The company is seeking to rezone three parcels of land to commercial use to accommodate the development.
A public hearing on those changes could come as soon as March, with a final review of the site — as well as landscaping and architectural blueprints for the location — potentially coming in June, according to public documents.
Mapping Buc-ee's store footprint beyond Texas
Buc-ee’s noted in its proposal that while it doesn’t yet know how substantially local roads will need to be improved to support the site, “given W. Elm Rd.’s unique location, size and limited accessibility to the east, it does not appear that a substantial redesign to the I-94 intersection will be necessary.”
This is notable since Buc-ee’s was already working on plans for a 74,000-square-foot store with 120 fuel positions in DeForest. In an interview with TV station WKOW 27 News, Village Administrator Bill Chang said that location would require “substantial” road improvements. Those delays may make the Oak Creek location Buc-ee’s first Wisconsin site to open.
Wisconsin is one of nine states where Buc-ee’s is developing its first store. The others are Arizona, Ohio, Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia.
Lake Jackson, Texas-based Buc-ee’s is well known for its variety of foodservice items, relatively high starting pay, clean bathrooms and large stores.
