Buc-ee’s has made it to Colorado.
A red-capped beaver, the mascot of the super-sized, Texas-based travel centers, was front and center on outdoor signs and throughout the 74,000-square-foot store that officially opened at 6 a.m. Monday in Johnstown.
The store is the first Buc-ee’s in Colorado and the company’s farthest west. The grand opening was expected to draw the uninitiated, curious about the excitement over the cornucopia of food and merchandise, as well as devotees of what has been a popular franchise located mostly in the South.
Company officials were waiting to see if Buc-ee’s would generate the same kind of buzz that the entry of other regional favorites to the Colorado market have. Crowds turned out for the first Krispy Kremes and In-N-Out Burgers.
“Sometimes we have a hundred people, sometimes 200, sometimes 300 waiting outside for hours on end for 6 a.m.,” said Josh Smith, director of operations for Buc-ee’s.
Asked how he would describe a Buc-ee’s to people who are new to the stores, Smith replied, “sensory overload.”
“From all the different things that you see when you walk through the doors, to all the different smells, from the savory brisket being chopped on the board right in front of you to the nuts being roasted,” Smith said. “it’s just sweet and savory and the sights are just overwhelming.”
There are outdoor barbecue pits. The stores sell camping supplies. Food and snacks run the gamut from brisket sandwiches, fudge, freshly made pastries and beaver nuggets, which are caramel coated corn pops.
And there are what fans say and Buc-ee’s swear are “the cleanest restrooms in America.” Outside, there are 116 fuel pumps and 12 charging stations for electric vehicles. The travel centers aren’t truck stops and 18-wheelers aren’t welcome at most of its 48 sites, a practice that has been criticized by truckers.
The company has said its travel centers are “optimized for passenger vehicles.”
Smith said Buc-ee’s decided to build a store in Colorado because Denver is a major hub with a lot of traffic flowing through it. The company located the store in Johnstown in northern Colorado because of its accessibility and the community’s receptiveness.
The store is at the southwest corner of Interstate 25 and Colorado 60. The region is one of the fastest-growing in the state.
Johnstown Mayor Troy Mellon said the town is “thrilled to welcome the first Colorado Buc-ee’s.”
“Buc-ee’s is recognized as a premier retail destination that will attract customers from far and wide, thereby enriching our regional economy,” Mellon said in a statement.
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The store’s anticipated annual sales will be about $25 million, Mellon said. He joined other local officials for a grand opening ceremony later in the morning.
The new store has a staff of approximately 250 full-time employees. The pay is in the $18-$22 range and benefits include medical and dental coverage and a 6% matching 401(k) contribution after one year on the job.
For a short time, the Johnstown store will be among Buc-ee’s largest. That will change when the original Buc-ee’s location in Luling, Texas, is replaced with a center slightly more than 75,000 square feet.
“We’re rebuilding it to make it the world’s largest so Texas can have that title back,” Smith said.