Buc-ee's: Traffic nightmare or travelers paradise? 5 On Your Side finds out
SEES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IS
ACCESS
TO CAPITAL.
>> TONIGHT, A LOOK AT ICONIC
GAS STATION MAKING ITS WAY TO
NORTH CAROLINA. THE LATEST
BUC-EE'S IS COMING TO AN EXIT
NEAR YOU. JUST WEST OF THE
TRIANGLE OFF. I-40 IN MEBANE OF
THOSE TEETH. THE TEXAS-BASED
CHAIN AS A CULT LIKE FOLLOWING.
BUT IT ALSO HAS ITS DETRACTORS
WHO ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE
TRAFFIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT OF THIS MASSIVE COMPLEX.
>> BUT WHAT IS IT? WE ARE TO
TRAVEL TO FLORENCE, SOUTH
CAROLINA TO FIND OUT HOW THE
NEW BUC-EE'S THERE HAS HANDLED
THOSE ISSUES.
>> IN PERSON, THIS PLAYS IT'S
WONDERFUL. IT'S LIKE WOW, AIR
AND ONLINE HAVE EVERYTHING IN
THE DELICIOUS, DELICIOUS
COOKIES IS BELOVED BY MANY, I
THINK IT'S JUST COOL THAT GAS
STATION TO HAVE AT HOMES AND IT
HAS A STORY. AND THOSE ARE,
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THE DISNEY
WORLD COMING IN THE LATEST
EXPANSION INTO NORTH CAROLINA.
IT ALSO HAS BROUGHT SOME
CONTROVERSY IN A FURTHER
DISCUSSION. LOCALS CAME OUT TO
VOICE OPPOSITION. DON'T THINK
THAT WE NEED 1200 TO 2,500 CARS
PER HOUR BRINGING THEIR EXHAUST
AND HEALTH EXPOSURES INTO OUR
CITY THAT IN CITY COUNCIL
APPROVED THE MASSIVE PROJECT
IN MID-JANUARY, MOTION CARRIAGE
WITH BUC-EE'S MEBANE A DONE
DEAL. 5 ON YOUR SIDE WENT TO
THE NEAREST OPEN LOCATION IN
SOUTH CAROLINA TO FIND OUT WHAT
IT'S ALL ABOUT.
>> HI, THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
OUR GUIDE US. YOUR QUESTIONS OR
GO FROM LANDFALL RIGHT TOWARDS
GENERAL MANAGER DONALD
BRADSHAW. QUINCE DEADLY BORN IN
THE SAME TOWN AS THE ORIGINAL
BUC-EE'S ON MONTREZL CLEAN,
FRIENDLY AND STOP. HE TOOK US
AROUND THE 54,000 SQUARE-FOOT
FLORENCE TORE. THAT'S MORE THAN
15 TIMES THE SIZE OF AN AVERAGE
CONVENIENCE STORE AND BOOST
ITEMS LIKE YOU NEVER SEE AT
ANOTHER PIT STOP.
>> A LOT OF CLOTHING, CLOTHING
WE HAVE MUCH AND ICE HAVE A LOT
OF COUNTRY FEELING STUFF FALL
SO THAT ANYONE EVER BUY THAT
BIG ONE. THE BIG ONE IS NOT
FOR SALE. WHY THEY, THOUGH
PEOPLE DO ASK THAT. I DO HAVE
THAT FULL OF PEOPLE CAN BUY.
THEY DO. I AND A LOT OF IT IS
OFFERING ONE TIME THEY'RE GOING
OVER A MILLION DOLLARS A DAY IN
BUSINESS HERE.
>> WE DID HEAR HERE AT THIS
LOCATION. HERE'S BUC-EE'S
FLORENCE BY THE NUMBERS.
715 PARKING SPACES. 52
BATHROOMS, CLEAN BATHROOMS IS A
MUST WRITE 120 GAS PUMPS.
200 JOBS AND 4.6 MILLION
VISITORS A GAS STATION IS
REALLY THE DESTINATION. BUT
BUC-EE'S IS AND YOU REALIZE
THAT WE PLANNED OUR WHOLE
ENTIRE ROAD TRIP AROUND
STOPPING AT THIS GAS STATION.
YOU LOOK AT ALL THE LICENSE
TO FLORIDA, GEORGIA, ABOUT 98%
OF THE PEOPLE THAT COME HERE
LIVE OUTSIDE OF FLORENCE COUNTY
ALREADY WELL THROUGH WITH THE
HOSPITALITY TAX REVENUE
BUC-EE'S BRINGS GREG ROBINSON,
THE CEO OF THE ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP FOR
FLORENCE ADMITTED TRAFFIC HAS
BEEN AN ISSUE THAT IT DOES BACK
UP ONTO THE INTERSTATE. AND SO
WE'RE ACTUALLY OF DOING THAT
KIND OF A STUDY RIGHT NOW TO
SEE IF WE CAN REVERSE SOME OF
THE TRAFFIC LANES. THIS EVEN
AFTER THE INTERSTATE WHEN 2
MAJOR UPGRADES TO SUPPORT AN
INFLUX OF BUCKIES CUSTOMERS
STAND. BEARD. BUC-EE'S DIRECTOR
OF REAL ESTATE SAYS BUC-EE'S
GOAL IS EASY DRIVE IN AND DRIVE
OUT. ALL BECAME HOLD. ALL OF
>> AS THEY GOT, YOU KNOW, WE WE
HAVE ISSUES.
>> THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE.
THIS IS WHAT OUR PEOPLE OR OUR
SCENE OUT THERE.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT WE DO THE
SOLUTION TO THAT QUESTION
STANCE AS CAN BE REALLY
ANYTHING FROM DRONE SURVEYING
THE AREA TO CHANGES TO THE
ROADWAYS, TO PUTTING PEOPLE ON
THE GROUND TO DIRECT TRAFFIC.
>> WE'LL FIGURE OUT WHERE THE
END POINT OR AND RETAINS THE
PINPOINT TRAFFIC IS A CHIEF
COMPLAINT OF THOSE WHO OPPOSE
THE MET IN LOCATION WITH IT
BEING PLANNED. JUST ONE EXIT
AWAY FROM THE ALREADY POPULAR
TANGER OUTLETS STAND SAYS
THEY'VE ALREADY TAKEN LESSONS
LEARNED ELSEWHERE TO MEGAN, BUT
WILL MAKE EVEN MORE ADJUSTMENTS
IF NEEDED AFTER WE OPERATE FOR
A FEW MONTHS. WE WE REALIZE
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED. WHAT THE
WHAT THE WHAT THE TRAVELING
PUBLIC REALLY DOES.
>> AND THEN WE WILL. IF IF
CHANGES ARE REQUIRED, WILL
WE'LL MAKE THOSE CHANGE.
>> BUC-EE'S WILL SPEND 8 TO
12 MILLION DOLLARS OF ITS OWN
FOR ROAD CHANGE IS NEEDED IN.
MET IN THE STORE WILL BE LARGER
THAN FLORENCE. 74,000 SQUARE
FEET HAVE 652 PARKING SPACES,
120 GAS PUMPS 225 WORKERS AND
BRING IN AN ESTIMATED 1.8
MILLION DOLLARS IN SALES TAX
REVENUE. WELCOME AND WELCOME
TO ROCKY OPENING. HOPEFULLY
IN TWENTY-TWENTY 5. CAN'T WAIT
FOR THAT. BUC-EE'S OPENED EVAN
WILL BE A GOOD ADDITION.
>> ALRIGHT
>> BEARD ALSO ADDRESSED
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, CALLING
THEM VALID IN SAYING NONE OF
THEIR LOCATIONS WE HAVE EVER
HAD AN ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS AND
A PRETTY THOROUGH PROCEDURE
THERE. GERALD ACUTELY, THERE'S
SO MUCH INTEREST IN BUC-EE'S
HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA. IF YOU
GET A SENSE THAT MAYBE THEY
BRING ANOTHER ONE HERE TO THE
STATE. YEAH, I REALLY TRIED TO
ASK THE TOUGH QUESTIONS.
AND STAN DID SAY THAT THE
MEDICATION WILL BE THE ONLY
ONE IN NORTH CAROLINA FOR AT
LEAST THE NEXT YEAR. SO TAKE
THAT HOW YOU LIKE TO TO ME.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY ARE
DEFINITELY PURSUING THE
POSSIBILITY OF MORE LOCATIONS
HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA. THEY
KNOW HOW POPULAR IT IS AND HOW
MANY PEOPLE TRAVEL TO THE STATE