JOHNSTOWN — Texas convenience store chain Buc-ee’s Ltd. has dug out its first foothold in Colorado with the groundbreaking of its upcoming Johnstown location. The new store, set to open in 2024, will join another upcoming location in Tennessee as the world’s largest convenience stores.

Buc-ee’s, which will sit at the southwest corner of Interstate 25 and Weld County Road 48 at 501 Nugget Road, is joining the Ledge Rock center and other developments along the I-25 corridor. Johnstown mayor Gary Lebsack viewed the groundbreaking as a reward for the work the town has put into growth.

“This makes the whole year worthwhile,” Lebsack said.

Buc-ee’s president and CEO Arch “Beaver” Aplin III felt Johnstown was the best location for the first Buc-ee’s store out of the south, in part because of its pro-growth policies.

“Life is too short to do business in communities that don’t want you there,” Aplin said.

Not everything is bigger in Texas. The Johnstown Buc-ee’s will be about 74,000 square feet, on par with another Buc-ee’s location set to open in Sevierville, Tennessee, in 2023. The current world record-holder for largest convenience store is the 66,335-square-foot location in New Braunfels, Texas. Aplin joked that taking the record out of Buc-ee’s home state was unpopular.

“I made a lot of my Texas friends and family unhappy with me,” Aplin said.

The Buc-ee’s location is set to have 120 fueling stations and serve up the chain’s signature barbecue, fudge and its sweet treats known as “beaver nuggets.” The potential traffic pattern redesign for the new convenience store was the subject of a letter from the Gateway Center Owner’s Association in November of 2021.

In addition to the store’s gargantuan gas station, the site will feature a charging station for electric vehicles as they become increasingly common.

“We have had our eye on electric charging for some time,” Aplin said.

Aplin feels Buc-ee’s will mesh well with Colorado’s adventurous culture. Buc-ee’s advertises itself as a spot for travelers to stop and stock up on their way to their next destination. Aplin was excited to break ground at what is set to be Colorado’s largest convenience store.

“My two favorite times are a ground-breaking and a ribbon-cutting,” Aplin said.

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