A massive convenience store opened Monday on the northeast side of Springfield, MO just off I-44. Many people were there when the doors opened at 6 a.m. and kept coming as the day went on.
Buc-ee’s is 53,000-square-feet of food and merchandise with dozens of gas pumps for passing motorists. Electrical vehicle charging is available at some locations, including in Springfield.
The chain’s owner, Arch “Beaver” Aplin III, was on hand for a ribbon cutting in Springfield. So were Springfield and Greene County officials.
Springfield City Manager Jason Gage said it’s exciting for Springfield to be the location of the first Buc-ee’s in Missouri.
"You know, when you really know what Buc-ee's is about and realize how popular it is, it's almost a cult following," he said. "To have Buc-ee's here in Springfield is just — it's a big deal for us."
Gage said he expects the new store to have an impact on the area’s economy.
"We're really excited for people to hop off the highway to go to this destination," he said. We think it will be good for us from a sales tax perspective, and so we're just tickled."
Councilman Brandon Jenson said he agrees with Gage and pointed out what he calls Buc-ee’s "demonstrated history of taking care of its communities both with the wages that they pay their workers, but also the ways that they get involved with their community and give back.
"I think it's an example of a major employer coming to a community and investing in a way that shows they're here to stay."
A sign in front of the store, encouraging people to apply, had wages listed from $18 to $33 per hour for various jobs with higher wages for managerial positions.
The City’s Economic Vitality Department worked with Buc-ee’s to bring the location to Springfield with a $4.1 million infrastructure reimbursement agreement and a Community Improvement District. The project is expected to create around 200 jobs in all.
People were excited to see the new store open on Monday, including a group of friends who drove from Kansas City for opening day. They were clearly having fun being together.
Sarah Dlugosh said she has friends in Texas who raved about Buc-ee’s for awhile before she made it to one.
"The first time I went, I was like, 'Oh my gosh. I love this,'" Dlugosh said. "When I heard that we were getting one here, I freaked out a little bit, you know, so we've been planning this for the past, like, year now."
Her friend, Daniela Florez, described her first time in a Buc-ee’s as "awesome."
Their friend, Dylan Chumley, had never heard of Buc-ee’s before Dlugosh told him about the chain.
"My jaw just dropped when I came in here," Chumley said. "Just seeing the number of pumps, I was astonished. Going inside, it was like a little mini warehouse. It's a gas station, but it's not a gas station. It's a gas home."
Their other pal, Brendan Wilde, came along for the ride, too.
"I've just heard her [Dlugosh] rant and rave about it for years now," Wilde said, "so I was like, 'OK, I guess I'm down for the ride, so here I am."
Was it worth it?
"It's a trip in there," said Wilde. "It's bizarre, especially how excited everybody is. I've never seen anybody be so excited over, like, a quote, unquote gas station before."
Another friend, Angela Hunter, went to Texas with Dlugosh once, mainly to visit a Buc-ee’s. And she said the experience made them even closer.
"We saw that sign, and it said, 'Brake for brisket,'" Hunter said, "and we were like, 'no way. That's Buc-ee's! Like, we drove, like, eight hours to get there.' And she was crying. I was crying. I couldn't see where I was going. Yeah, and everybody was so excited."
Two of the friends wore costumes to look like the store’s mascot, which is a beaver.
And Dlugosh wore a bow around her beaver tale — a piece of the ribbon from Monday’s ribbon cutting, which her friend Chumley said she’ll probably treasure forever.
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