Oklahoma Reacts To Its First Buc-ee’s Location

There are some things Oklahoma has been waiting on for what seems like forever.

Buc-ee’s has apparently decided we’ve waited long enough.

According to The Oklahoman, we all now have a real big clue on what has been a whole lot of Buc-ee’s speculation. The first Oklahoma Buc-ee’s is planned way out past Yukon, on the western edge of OKC.

Update, the cat is officially out of the bag. OKC Mayor David Holt confirmed Buc-ee's is coming.

And now that we know where it’s going, I have a question.

Is Oklahoma actually happy about this?

Because the answer seems to depend on who you ask.

When talk of an Oklahoma Buc-ee’s started making the rounds earlier this year, the reaction online was pretty much what you’d expect. There were plenty of people ready to celebrate, people wondering why it took so long, and people who apparently have been waiting for their chance to buy Beaver Nuggets without having to cross the Red River.

But there were also some Oklahomans who looked at the whole thing and basically said, "Why?" And now that it's more than a rumor, people are arguing about the location.

Oklahoma Finally Has A Location For Its First Buc-ee's

Buc-ee’s will sit at I-40 and Cimarron Road just west of Yukon.

If you're familiar with I-40 out that way, Cimarron Road doesn't exactly scream "future home of Oklahoma's busiest travel center." The Cimarron Road bridge over I-40 is a two-lane crossing with older-style ramps, but that's going to change before Buc-ee's opens.

The Oklahoman reported that documents submitted to the Oklahoma City Council show a roughly $25 million project to upgrade the interchange. CSMS Management LLC, a company used by Buc-ee’s for land purchases and development, has agreed to contribute up to $8 million. ODOT would contribute up to $15 million, while Oklahoma City has a $10 million share tied to federal funding previously secured for the junction.

Oklahoma Reaction To The First Buc-ee's

Back in February, when Oklahoma City officials acknowledged they had been having preliminary conversations with Buc-ee’s, the internet didn't exactly respond with a collective shrug.

A discussion on the Oklahoma Reddit was full of people celebrating the possibilities, people comparing Buc-ee’s with other travel centers, but also plenty of Debbie Downers who simply didn't understand why anybody was so excited about a giant gas station.

I get the argument. It's a fun stop when you're on the road... But realistically, won't the novelty eventually wear off like it does with every business across the Sooner State?

Of course, Buc-ee's fans would probably argue that is an extremely unfair description of such an establishment, and I sort of agree.

I've been to Buc-ee's in a few different states. And while there is a touristy thing about that experience, there's more to it than that. Clean bathrooms, the passable brisket, wall of jerky, entertainment value, and yeah, Beaver Nuggets. If you don't like the super-sweet Corn Pops tasting regular ones, have the hot and spicy or buffalo variety. They bang, and even if I still lived down the road in Yukon, you can bet I'd add Buc-ee's to my grocery list in the same respect as Braum's.

That's the Buc-ee's draw.

So... what do you think? Do you like the location? Wish it was on the other side of OKC? Closer to Tulsa? Near Chickasha where it was first rumored? Or are you just okay with actually getting our first Buc-ee's regardless?