Buc-ee’s Expects to Open Its First Wisconsin Store in Early 2027

Photograph courtesy of Gravitate

Buc-ee’s is coming to Wisconsin for the first time … again. The Planning Commission of City of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, announced that it is discussing rezoning for the anticipated opening in early 2027 of a Buc-ee’s travel center, expected to be the first in the Badger State.

Oak Creek, on the shore of Lake Michigan, is about 15 miles south of Milwaukee and approximately 80 miles north of Chicago.

• Buc-ee’s is No. 118 on CSP’s 2024 Top 202 ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by store count.

The proposed site, if approved, would be home to a 73,370-square-foot convenience store and fueling plaza at the southwest corner of I-94 and Elm Road. It would feature 120 gas pumps, including ethanol-free gasoline and electric vehicle (EV) charging.

“Buc-ee’s is excited to have the opportunity of adding Oak Creek to our expansion into Wisconsin,” said Stan Beard, Buc-ee’s director of real estate and development. “We have plan submittals, commission approvals and final city council decisions to be made before we can put a shovel in the ground, and that process officially begins with the Jan. 28 Plan Commission meeting.”

Following that meeting, the commission will hold a public hearing on March 18, when the Oak Creek Common Council will consider a future land use map amendment and a rezoning. The next step would be for the Plan Commission and Common Council to consider a certified survey map and conditional use permit for a fueling plaza in April and May, according to city documents. And the last step would be for the Plan Commission to review site, landscaping and architectural plans for the travel plaza center in June.

The Beaver and the Badger

Oak Creek was not the retailer’s first choice for a Badger beachhead. In March 2023, reports indicated that Buc-ee’s was planning to open its first store in Wisconsin in DeForest, just north of Madison, in the southcentral part of the state on the way to the Wisconsin Dells.

That project has experienced delays. DeForest Village Administrator Bill Chang told WMTV 15 News that Buc-ee’s asked the village to share the cost of construction. He said the village is working with recently elected state officials to secure funding. The village is awaiting a response from the state, which will determine the path forward for the project, said the report. Buc-ee’s declined to comment to CSP concerning the possible DeForest site.

The Oak Creek location, therefore, is expected to be Buc-ee’s “first-completed store in Wisconsin,” according to Mayor Dan Bukiewicz.

“We are thrilled to welcome Buc-ee’s to Oak Creek,” he said “This exciting development not only strengthens our position as a key hub for travelers but also brings new opportunities for local businesses and residents. We look forward to seeing the positive impact Buc-ee’s will have on our community.”

Andrew Vickers, city administrator, added, “We are honored that Buc-ee’s selected our city for its first expansion in the upper Midwest. Buc-ee’s represents an opportunity to not only bring a unique experience to the region, but to also showcase the Oak Creek community to hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.”

In the city documents, Buc-ee’s included a statement that describes how it believes it affects the communities in which it builds: “Buc-ee’s will employ (full time with benefits) over 175 residents earning an average minimum wage of $18 to $20 per hour. Buc-ee’s provides a unique opportunity to the city and its residents in terms of ‘goodwill impact’ like no other. In addition to the project paying its own way in terms of utilities and resource consumption, Buc-ee’s has proven time and again to serve its community. Generating incredible media, consumer and visitor attention, as well as substantial tax revenues, Buc-ee’s consistently gives back to its communities for the long term.”

Founded in 1982, Lake Jackson, Texas-based Buc-ee’s is known for its large number of fueling positions, clean bathrooms, food, snacks, apparel and a wide range of other merchandise.

Buc-ee’s now has 51 stores in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Buc-ee’s opened the doors to its new travel center in Amarillo, Texas, on Dec. 16. The company has broken ground on its first Virginia and Mississippi locations. It will break ground on a new travel center in San Marcos, Texas, on Jan. 29 and in Kansas City, Kansas, in May 2025, with a projected opening date of May 2027. And it plans to open stores in new states including Arkansas and Ohio.

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Greg Lindenberg has been covering convenience-store news and writing about the c-store and gas station industries for more than a quarter of a century. He specializes in mergers-and-acquisitions (M&A) news.

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