Buc-ee’s is Coming to Oklahoma, Where Should They Build?

In what might have been the weirdest news of the weekend, someone from Buc-ee's confirmed they're mulling over the idea of a location in Oklahoma.

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By the hoard of articles that popped up over the weekend, you'd assume an Oklahoma Buc-ee's was a done deal, but that's not yet the case. It's still a big "maybe."

It all stemmed from a conversation about Buc-ee's move into Louisiana. With heavily traveled I-10 and I-20 running through the state, it makes sense the brand would move East. There was no quote given on the subject, just a note that said Buc-ee's "has its sights set on Oklahoma for future locations."

I'm honestly surprised Oklahoma's news outlets didn't paint the picture that we're getting multiple locations.

Where is Buc-ee's building in Oklahoma?

If you wasted as much time as I did reading all of the articles across Oklahoma media, you would assume Buc-ee's was planning to build locations all around the OKC metro... which would make sense, but that may not be Buc-ee's prerogative anymore.

Typical locations are places with massive traveler populations. Texas Motor Speedway, Daytona Speedway, and all around major metropolitan areas... but not very deep into metro areas. If the OKC metro was a consideration for Buc-ee's, you wouldn't likely find Beaver Nuggets in Edmond, Norman, or Yukon... It'd likely be farther out than that.

Look at Alabama. It's similar enough to Oklahoma. 5 million in population, no real major city to speak of but the Yellowhammer State has four Buc-ee's locations. Each location is outside one of Alabama's biggest cities, but way outside those big cities. 15-20 miles.

If Buc-ee's follows the same routine in Oklahoma one day, El Reno would have better odds of getting a location than Yukon. Besides, I'd wager that real estate along I-40 is much cheaper out there too.

I did see a blurb where at least one Oklahoma expert was talking about Chickasha and Stroud - both on the I-44 corridor - being prime locations for Buc-ee's, but we've talked this topic to death. Those places don't seem like legitimate contenders for a massive travel complex.

Instead, if the plans to build the big theme park up in Vinita keep up with construction, that'd likely be the first place Buc-ee's would place a store.

All the same, a location on the Oklahoma side of Lake Texoma seems a real possibility too. Lots of visitors almost year-round, plenty of money floating around, and a dip in the shallow end for Buc-ee's to judge the Oklahoma waters.