CROSSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Brisket and Beaver Nuggets have officially found their way to Tennessee.
After three years of planning, the state finally has its very own Buc-ee’s.
“[It’s] the motherland,” said visitor Kate Platten. “It is a holy place here at Buc-ee’s”
Hundreds of people made their way to Crossville Monday morning to experience one of the country’s largest travel centers officially opening its doors. Folks from Nashville, Lebanon, and even as far as Texas made the drive.
“We marked our calendars and I happened to be off of work and here we are,” said Robin Frank. “We made it.”
For the people who live in Crossville, experiencing Buc-ee’s was something they’ve been waiting to do. “I went to Buc-ee’s in Alabama two years ago, and I’ve been dreaming about this place ever since,” said Mary Corson.
Casey Heussaer is excited about the potential growth that the location could bring to the area. “I just really think this is really great for tourists,” she said. “I think it’s an attraction. It’s another place to stop on the 40.”
Crossville’s location between Nashville and Knoxville is what attracted Buc-ee’s founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin III to set up his 50th location.
“We just felt like this was right down the bailiwick of what we were looking for between two major cities on the interstate,” he said. “So Crossville was ideal. It was a great location and the community, the city, the county were really easy to work with.”
Aplin said he’s working on bringing another location to Sevierville in East Tennessee—that location will open in 2023.
He added he’s already on the lookout for a third location somewhere across the state.