Smiths Grove, Ky. — Kentucky’s second Buc-ee’s is now open.
The new Buc-ee’s opened in Smiths Grove in Warren County, just 10 minutes away from Bowling Green.
Hundreds of loyal customers lined up for the opening at 6:00 a.m.
Lincoln Rowe, one customer in line, said, “I got here at 3:30 a.m., and I was the second group in the parking lot.”
The first in line was Angel Ward, who has visited over 30 Buc-ee’s locations in Texas. Buc-ee’s was founded in Texas in1982.
Ward said, “We got here at 2:10 a.m., we actually got to the hotel early so we can go to sleep.”
As soon as the doors opened, customers flooded the store in search of Texas BBQ, homemade fudge, beaver nuggets and souvenirs. Many fans stocked their grocery carts to the rim.
Kentucky’s new location has 120 gas pumps and is 53,000 square feet.
A spokesperson for the store said the new location brought at least 200 new jobs to the area.
Starting pay for associates is $18-$21 an hour, and the positions come with full benefits as well as three weeks of paid vacation.
Randy Pauly, a Buc-ee’s employee, said, “We as trainers have been here for the last month and a half. We’ve moved into the city, we’ve moved into the community, got to know the area. But what’s great is, now we get to show them what we’re all about. We get to show them how we focus on the details, we get to show them how delicious our brisket is. They get to actually taste it. They grab it and enjoy it. That’s the best part about it.”
Kentucky is now home to a pair of Buc-ee’s, but according to the company, Smiths Grove is the smallest city in the country with a Buc-ee’s
Company CEO and founder, Beaver Aplin, explained why he chose such a small location.
Aplin said, “We were looking at something that was on the interstate, obviously. So, Smiths Grove, I wasn’t concerned at all honestly that it’s the smallest community we’ve ever built in, and we like small towns.”
The new travel center is at Smiths Grove-Scottsville Road. Kentucky’s first Buc-ee’s is in Richmond, and was opened in April 2022.
Buc-ee’s has 35 stores in Texas and 15 other stores across the country according to a news release from the company.
The company broke ground on its first Virginia and Mississippi stores earlier this year.