Louisiana
Buc-ee’s will break ground in Ruston, Louisiana, soon: Here’s the time line for the Beaver
Construction on the infrastructure to accommodate the new Buc-ee’s in Ruston will begin next week, followed by early stages of construction on the travel center within five weeks, Mayor Ronny Walker said.
“It’s going to be a tremendous boost not just for Ruston and Grambling, but for the entire region,” Walker said in an interview with USA Today Network.
Buc-ee’s, with its toothy Beaver mascot, has developed a cult following among travelers who consider the stores tourism destinations rather than just giant convenience stores.
Every Buc-ee’s has wide varieties of meat jerky, roasted nuts and other culinary delights, like the signature Buc-ee’s Beaver Nuggets (similar to caramel popcorn), fudge, brisket and sausage on a stick.
“I had no idea how many people love Buc-ee’s so much that they plan vacations around their locations,” Walker said.
If construction goes as planned, Ruston will finish its $8 million infrastructure project to improve the Tarbutton Road Interstate 20 interchange in 10 to 12 months, while construction of the Buc-ee’s campus will take 12 to 15 months, Walker said.
The city later will extend the service road to connect with the I-20 Grambling interchange in Phase 2.
Walker said the company projects 15,000 vehicles a day stopping at Buc-ee’s with 80% coming from 200 miles or more away. The mayor said he believes many of those visitors also will make other stops in Ruston and Grambling before or after leaving Buc-ee’s.
“Many of them aren’t just going to get a chopped beef sandwich and drive away,” Walker said. “They’ll visit the Louisiana Tech University campus or the Eddie Robinson Museum.”
Ruston’s Buc-ee’s will employ at least 200 people at $18 to $20 per hour with benefits.
The Lake Jackson, Texas-headquartered company has more than 40 stores in seven southern states and Colorado, but none in Louisiana. A new Buc-ee’s store also is being built in Lafayette.
Buc-ee’s owner Arch “Beaver” Aplin III’s grandparents lived in Harrisonburg, La., and he often spent summers there as a child.
“For our family, opening a Buc-ee’s in Louisiana is like coming home,” Aplin said in a statement to USA Today Network. “We are very excited about Buc-ee’s coming to Ruston.”
Ruston’s City Council, the Lincoln Parish School Board and Lincoln Parish Police Jury approved a tax incentive package that set the project in motion in 2022.
Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.