By Sheldon Gardner
St. Augustine Record
Buc-ee's, a Texas-based chain featuring mammoth gas stations and convenience stores, will open its St. Augustine location on Monday, but media and first responders got a sneak peak at the Buc-ee's "experience" Friday morning.
The convenience store is located at 200 World Commerce Parkway at the southwest side of the Interstate 95 and International Golf Parkway interchange near the World Golf Village, off Exit 323. The store is about 55,000 square feet and includes 104 fueling stations, said Kirk Boerner, general manager of the store.
The business will open around 6 a.m. on Monday, he said. Until the Daytona Beach Buc-ee's opens, the St. Augustine location will be the largest in Florida.
The St. Augustine building was getting finishing touches on Friday, but the store and its employees were decked out and ready to go.
Inside Buc-ee's
Employees in Buc-ee's caps and masks whisked around the store greeting visitors and beckoning people to sample their products. Employees in denim aprons and cowboy hats in the Texas Round Up section, featuring freshly prepared meats such as brisket and sausage, shouted "Fresh brisket on the board" as they fixed meat on a cutting board.
Employees prepare barbecue sandwiches in the middle of the new Buc-ee's on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021. The 55,000-square-foot convenience store with 104 fueling stations store will open on Monday, Feb. 22.
"Our most famous part of our food service is … our Texas Round Up," said Suzanne Hermann, food service manager.
The store is split into the gift side, which features items such as clothing, home décor and sporting goods; and the food service and traditional convenience store sides.
The restrooms have an attendant on duty 24-7 to make sure they're clean, Boerner said.
And, of course, shelves are filled with Buc-ee's products: Beaver Nuggets; 22 types of fudge made in house, including one variety called "Tiger Butter,"; more than 20 types of jerky; Beaver Chips (potato chips); popcorn balls; chocolate rocks; powder candy; and Buc-ee's bandanas, boogie boards, windbreakers, wine glasses and beaver onesies ― for both adults and children — among lots of other things.
That's in addition to what you'd normally expect at a gas station, like coffee, drinks and prepared foods.
"(There are) over 70 flavors of fountain drinks that people are able to get every day. Twelve varieties of Icees down there at the end," Boerner said.
Running the business will take more than 200 employees divided into a few shifts, Boerner said.
Positions start at $15 an hour, and while spots are currently filled, the store is always looking for great people, Boerner said.
He said the company plans to open 20 Buc-ee's locations on the East Coast in the next three to four years, and officials hope the concept catches on like it has in Texas.
"It's a fun environment," Boerner said. "People compare us to the Disney World of gas stations. … If you live in North Texas, in Dallas-Fort Worth, people know how many Buc-ee's there are on the way to San Antonio down in South Texas."
The Buc-ee's journey for St. Johns County hasn't always been rosy. Some people opposed the development over concerns such as increased traffic, noise, vagrants and light pollution.
Boerner said the facility is focused on a family experience and isn't offering fuel for 18-wheelers at the facility.
While it hasn't pushed back the opening date, winter storms in Texas have affected the business's supply chain.
The St. Augustine store was stocked, but some stuffed-animal beavers were stuck in transit along with the beaver mascot, Boerner said.
First responders attend opening
Friday's event was special for first responders.
Buc-ee's invited local law enforcement, firefighters and others to sample and take products for free.
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"Their brisket was amazing. I'm going to judge the pulled pork in a little bit," said Dee Brown, St. Augustine Police Department spokesman, as he held up a wrapped sandwich.
After it opens, the store will offer free drinks to first responders who have some identification when they bring a mug of their own, Hermann said.
Bill Werle, captain with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, posed for a photo in front of the business with other officers.
"It's impressive. It's an experience," Werle said.
