Buc-ee's Is Finally Open in South Carolina

There is an old saying that anyone who has gone on a road trip through the South should know: There's no pitstop like a Buc-ee's pitstop. The chain of Southern convenience stores and gas stations is one of the best things about driving through Texas. Luckily, their sprawling stores decked out with their cartoon beaver mascot, Buc-ee,, have been spreading past the borders of the Lone Star State for a while now. Massive outposts have popped up in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida and a 74,000-square-foot flagship super-sized Buc-ee's Family Travel Center is expected to open in Sevierville, Tennessee soon. Now, South Carolina has a Buc-ee's to call its own.

Eater reports that the South's beloved roadside chain opened its first South Carolina outpost at 3390 North Williston Road in Florence on Monday, May 16. Anyone traveling up I-95 should be able to spot Buc-ee's giant beaver head from the highway. This new roadside attraction means South Carolina residents no longer have to cross state lines to get their Beaver Nuggets, deer feeders, kolaches, Dr. Pepper Icees or fudge.

Buc-ee's has been welcoming weary travelers since 1982, when Arch Aplin III opened a 3,000-square foot store on the border of Clute and Lake Jackson in Texas. Aplin named the store Buc-ee's with a cartoon beaver as its mascot after taking inspiration from his longtime nickname, Beaver, and his beloved Lab, Buck. The gas stations quickly developed a reputation for cheap ice and the cleanest restrooms in the country. They have been expanding in both location and offerings ever since.