How big was the Richmond Buc-ee’s opening? City manager has been 3 times for beef jerky
Barbecue, beaver nuggets and “cheap” gas drew local politicians, residents and out-of-towners alike to Buc-ee’s grand opening in Richmond April 19.
“We had a huge turnout; we were really excited,” Buc-ee’s spokesperson Jeff Nadalo said. “We had a number of our guests that had traveled from out of state to see the grand opening, and we felt like it was a tremendous success.”
Nadalo said he did not have an estimate of how many visitors attended the grand opening.
The opening’s popularity lasted well into the weekend, with cars and RVs winding through a line of traffic to jockey for a parking spot in the massive lot Saturday afternoon, while patrons grabbed food and, in many cases, held picnic lunches in the grassy areas surrounding the business.
The 53,000-square-foot store is more than a gas station, although you can fuel up there.
Richmond City Manager Robert Minerich said he was impressed by his first visit to Buc-ee’s in Richmond.
“There was this vibe — everybody in there was having fun. It’s almost like going to King’s Island for the first time or something,” Minerich said.
Minerich said he estimated about 200 people attended the ribbon-cutting festivities April 19, and he was impressed with the store’s bathroom facilities, which have been dubbed the cleanest restrooms in the country.
“There’s an attendant in each restroom 24 hours a day, and they are clean,” Minerich said.
But Buc-ee’s biggest differentiating factor might be its food offerings, which include brisket sandwiches, beaver nuggets (caramel-coated puffed corn), kolaches, fudge, ICEEs and much more.
“I’ve been out there three times since (the opening) to get beef jerky,” Minerich said. “I consider myself a beef jerky connoisseur, and it’s the best beef jerky I’ve ever had.”
Although many customers are flocking to Buc-ee’s, Minerich said from a customer standpoint the store is well-staffed. During his visits, he’s experienced a wait time of around five minutes from entering the check-out line to walking out the door.
How will Buc-ee’s tourism affect the city of Richmond?
Buc-ee’s visitors have driven anywhere from 1.5 hours to 3 hours each way to check out Richmond’s location, Minerich said.
“I can’t believe the crowd and the people, where they’re coming from. Obviously, it’s capturing traffic off of exit 83 on I-75, but there’s people from all over showing up to visit this Buc-ee’s,” Minerich said.
Because Buc-ee’s is bringing in out-of-state customers, other area businesses could benefit from the tourism, too.
“We have our hoteliers in town receiving calls from folks in Michigan and Indiana asking when Buc-ee’s was opening because they wanted to come down,” Minerich said. “The traffic (is) not only to the store, but I think it’s going to increase traffic to our city, as well.”
Along with tourists comes traffic jams.
Buc-ee’s traffic has caused back-ups on the north and southbound ramps exiting the interstate, Minerich said, but additional signals have been installed near the store to mitigate these issues. There are also three roundabouts near the entrance.
Besides benefits to local businesses, the store also brings employment opportunities.
The Richmond Buc-ee’s will employ 200 permanent, full-time employees, and wages start at $15 an hour. Nadalo said all full-time employees get 15 days of paid time off per year, as well as medical, dental and vision insurance and a 401K match up to 6%.
If you’re not planning to pass through the Richmond area anytime soon, there’s still a chance you’ll be able to get your Buc-ee’s fix in Kentucky. There are currently plans to open a location in Smiths Grove, and construction should begin later this year.
There has been discussion about an Oak Grove location, but Nadalo said Buc-ee’s has not yet closed on property in Oak Grove, Ky.
Buc-ee’s stores ranked No. 1 in foot traffic for stores with 30 to 49 locations in a report from GasBuddy in 2019. Ricker’s, On the Run St. Louis and J&H Family stores were among the runners-up in the category.
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