Buc-ee's Targets 2 Indiana Sites as CEO Favors Conservative States for Expansion

Q: Which communities secretly rejected Buc-ee's massive travel centers, prompting the CEO's sudden shift in expansion strategy?

Aplin did not name any specific communities that “secretly rejected” Buc-ee’s. In the Benton remarks, he spoke generally about preferring places that welcome the company and did not identify towns or counties he now wants to avoid. Public reporting does show several communities where Buc-ee’s faced notable resistance or delays. In Colorado, residents in the Palmer Lake/Monument area of El Paso County organized opposition over traffic, water use and environmental concerns, and the project also ran into zoning complications. In Wisconsin, some Oak Creek residents sued over rezoning tied to runoff and groundwater concerns. In Virginia, critics in Stafford objected to projected traffic, noise and pollution, though the project was approved. In Florida, opposition surfaced in Port Charlotte and St. Lucie County over traffic, floodplain and wildlife impacts. In Missouri, protesters in Springfield challenged public incentives for a planned store. So the answer is that no hidden list was disclosed by the CEO. The communities most clearly documented as resisting Buc-ee’s include Palmer Lake/Monument in Colorado, Oak Creek in Wisconsin, Stafford in Virginia, Port Charlotte and St. Lucie County in Florida, and Springfield in Missouri.

3 articles · Updated · IndyStar · Aug 24

Two Indiana Buc-ee’s locations are now listed as “coming soon,” with Greenwood awaiting final approval and Whitestown announced as the state’s first entries in the chain’s pipeline.
Arkansas opening remarks from CEO Arch Aplin III framed that push: he said Buc-ee’s grows more easily in “conservative, business-friendly states” with supportive leadership and a strong workforce.
That expansion message lands as Buc-ee’s faces backlash over trademark enforcement, including a lawsuit against Ohio’s Beaver’s Mini Mart that Gov. Mike DeWine called “ridiculous.”
John Oliver has also mocked the chain’s legal tactics on “Last Week Tonight,” keeping satirical “Buc-Off” merchandise on sale until the Ohio case is resolved.