Texas-based gas station chain Buc-ee’s recently opened a location in Tennessee that is its largest store to date.
The newest store opened on Monday just off Interstate 40 in Sevierville. It is a massive 74,000 square feet, with 120 gas pumps, according to Knox News. Like many Buc-ee’s locations, the new site will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
It also currently has the distinction of being the largest in the company, but it will only hold that title for a short while. As The Dallas Express previously reported, Luling, Texas, will open a Buc-ee’s later this year that was projected to be 75,000 square feet. Once construction is finished, Texas can once again boast the largest Buc-ee’s in the country.
Sevierville has been working on a project called “The 407 — Gateway to Adventure,” a tourist destination off Exit 407 on the way into the city. The newest Buc-ee’s location is the first of many planned attractions, including a shopping center and a theme park, expected to open near the area, per WVLT 8.
“We really are excited about what it’s going to bring in terms of new things for people to see and do when they come to Sevierville,” said Amanda Marr, Sevierville Chamber of Commerce’s marketing director, reported WVLT 8. “It’s going to open us up for people who are just passing through the area to stop and enjoy a little taste of what our town has to offer.”
Officials anticipated a heavy influx around the exit due to the new attraction. They arranged with the local police department and the Tennessee Department of Transportation to help manage the traffic as the area adjusts.
“We’re going to operate off of this plan for about two-and-a-half weeks, three weeks, just kind of depending on the flow of traffic during the opening. But when that honeymoon phase wears off, then we’ll reassess and reevaluate at that time,” Buc-ee’s Director of Operations Josh Smith told Knox News.
“It’s something we have to watch and monitor and keep close relationships with the Tennessee Department of Transportation,” he added.