{"id":1098,"date":"2026-06-02T18:35:41","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T18:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=1098"},"modified":"2026-06-02T18:35:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T18:35:41","slug":"buc-ees-is-finally-coming-to-nc-is-it-worth-the-drive-from-charlotte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=1098","title":{"rendered":"Buc-ee\u2019s is finally coming to NC. Is it worth the drive from Charlotte?"},"content":{"rendered":"

North Carolina is finally getting its first-ever Buc-ee\u2019s<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This week, the company announced it would break ground<\/a> on a new 74,000-square-foot travel center in Mebane on Wednesday, June 10.<\/b> The massive store won\u2019t open for at least another year, however, giving Charlotte road trippers plenty of time to map out a future visit.<\/p>\n

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If you plan on making the pilgrimage, here\u2019s what to know:<\/p>\n

Buc-ee\u2019s Mebane travel center will go up just off Interstates 40\/85<\/b> in Alamance County. The store will sit on 34 acres and span 74,000 square feet \u2014 roughly the size of a Kohl\u2019s department store<\/a>, except you\u2019ll find Texas barbecue, jerky and super-tidy restrooms.<\/p>\n

Building plans call for:<\/p>\n

The Mebane location will be missing a key feature, however: a car wash. The popular amenity is often found at other Buc-ee\u2019s travel centers, the News & Observer reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor our first North Carolina store, we\u2019ve landed in the best location possible,\u201d Stan Beard, Buc-ee\u2019s director of real estate and development, said in a news release.<\/p>\n

\u201cMebane has all the things that makes Buc-ee\u2019s a positively charming pit stop: great leadership, wonderful community, and a beautiful stretch of I-40\/85.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charlotteans plotting a future road trip will find that Buc-ee\u2019s could make the perfect mini adventure. Mebane is about 121 miles northeast from uptown<\/b> (or about two hours), and it\u2019s a perfect midpoint for families traveling toward the Triangle or Virginia.<\/p>\n

The new travel center will be just off Exit 152 at Trollingwood-Hawfields Road.<\/p>\n

Buc-ee\u2019s officials said roughly 80% of visitors (about 5 million annually) travel 50 miles or more<\/a> just to visit a store, The News & Observer previously reported. The NC Department of Transportation is preparing for the influx of traffic sure to come to the already busy commuter route, with plans to construct a new I-40\/85 interchange.<\/p>\n

Plans also include a diverging diamond pattern designed to \u201chandle at least a couple thousand more cars a day.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Buc-ee\u2019s isn\u2019t your typical fill up station or convenience store. It\u2019s been described as \u201can experience.\u201d Think: a Texas-style barbecue joint, candy and snacks, a wall of beef jerky and beaver-branded merch all under one (huge) roof.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou walk in and your senses are hit<\/a> with sound and smell,\u201d Jeff Lenard, an executive with the National Association of Convenience Stores, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cThirty minutes and however many dollars later, you\u2019re out there smiling, and the experience is not something every retailer can replicate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The chain is famous for its cheery, buck-toothed mascot Buc-ee \u2014 inspired by founder Arch Aplin\u2019s childhood nickname \u201cBeaver\u201d and his Labrador retriever, Buck, The News & Observer reported.<\/p>\n

Visitors can sink their teeth into fresh brisket, shop for Buc-ee\u2019s branded T-shirts, or answer nature\u2019s call at one of the store\u2019s award-winning bathrooms.<\/a><\/p>\n

Before you leave, be sure to snap a photo with the life-sized beaver mascot, too.<\/p>\n

Buc-ee\u2019s is as much a food destination as it is a treasure hunt.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not familiar with the myriad of snack options, don\u2019t fret. Last year, the News & Observer\u2019s food team ate its way<\/a> through the Buc-ee\u2019s in Florence, South Carolina, (the closest location for most North Carolinians) and ranked the brand\u2019s most popular bites from \u201ctop to meh.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Swimmer vanishes while trying to save child who drifted from beach, NC town says<\/a><\/p>\n

Here are the Top 5 picks to add to your must-try list:<\/p>\n

Tammy Grubb and Drew Jackson contributed reporting.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

North Carolina\u2019s first Buc-ee\u2019s in Mebane is a roughly two-hour drive up I-85 from Charlotte and will feature Texas BBQ, a huge snack selection and 120 gas pumps<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1097,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nBuc-ee\u2019s is finally coming to NC. 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