What It Was Like To Shop At The Very First Buc-Ee's

Picture this: It's 1982, and you're near Lake Jackson, Texas. You drive by a gas station and convenience store with an unusual name located at 899 Oyster Creek Drive. You decide to pull into the new business, called Buc-ee's, and head inside. You notice it's larger than most convenience stores, at least by 1980s standards. It's roomy at 3,000 square feet, and there are some unusual details, such as brass ceiling fans and cedar planking. You see folks grabbing bags of cheap ice and hear them commenting on the cleanliness of the bathrooms. You peruse the aisles. There's beef jerky, chips, even beer, but no prepared food (that would come later).

You would probably be greeted by the owner, a young man in his early 20's with a mustache and a dream to expand his business. His name is Arch Aplin III, and he's proud of his new place. Perhaps he even explains the store's name and why there's a beaver mascot: "Beaver" has been his nickname since he was a kid and Buck was the name of his dog. You leave the store, snacks in hand, and wonder what the future might hold for Arch Aplin III and Buc-ee's.

From that first Buc-ee's in Lake Jackson, Texas, Arch Aplin III began to expand. In 1985, he teamed up with Don Wasek, who had his own convenience store in a nearby town. Together the two men slowly built more Buc-ee's — the second store was twice as large as the original — and began adding some of the features you'd recognize today, including a kitchen that made prepared food. From there, they began expanding across Texas. In 1989, the company began selling branded merchandise, an area that has only grown over the years (via Texas Monthly).

Then, in 2003, Buc-ee's opened up its first travel center, a massive store more akin to what you're probably now familiar with. Today, there are 55 Buc-ee's across 12 states with further plans to expand, and Aplin and Wasek continue to be partners and the sole owners of Buc-ee's. Its largest store to date is a massive 75,000-plus square feet with 120 gas pumps in Luling, Texas, a far cry from the original 3,000-square-foot location. However, you can still get cheap ice, and the bathrooms are as sparkling clean as they were at the first Buc-ee's in 1982.