When will Buc-ee’s open its 1st NC store? Mebane expects major progress in 2026.
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mebane approved a 74,000 sq ft Buc-ee’s travel center; construction began late 2025.
- Opening target set for May 2027; schedule hinges on NCDOT interchange work and permits.
- Project will create 200+ full-time jobs, 120 fuel pumps, 650+ parking spots and tax revenue.
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What’s now just 32 acres of bare, red earth off Interstate 40/85 in Alamance County could have people and cars lining up to visit the state’s first Buc-ee’s travel center by May 2027.
The Texas-based company known for its oversize gas stations has a regional draw, selling mounds of hot brisket, candied Beaver nuggets, and an array of snacks and beaver-themed souvenirs. The bathrooms are celebrated as the cleanest in America.
Mebane’s City Council approved the Tar Heel state’s first Buc-ee’s travel center in January 2024. It will be nearly the size of a Kohl’s department store at 74,000 square feet and will hire over 200 full-time employees.
Construction crews broke ground in late 2025, grading the rough outline of a parking lot, building pad and stormwater ponds at 1425 Trollingwood-Hawfields Road (I-40/85 exit 152). Water and sewer lines, landscaping and erosion control are being laid.
By mid-2026, drivers passing the site could see walls start to go up. Buc-ee’s hasn’t sought a building permit yet, but Mebane city officials said the review process is largely completed.
It takes about 12 to 18 months to build a Buc-ee’s travel center. The opening date is tentatively set for May 2027, but that will depend on how fast the N.C. Department of Transportation can build a new I-40/85 interchange at Trollingwood-Hawfields Road.
A second bridge over the interstate is being installed now, the first step in creating a diverging diamond travel pattern that will handle at least a couple thousand more cars a day.
The work should not affect traffic through the heavily traveled commuter route, NCDOT officials said. Buc-ee’s is paying about $10 million of the state’s $38.7 million road work budget.
Why is Buc-ee’s mascot a beaver?
It’s based on founder Arch Aplin’s childhood nickname “Beaver” and the name of his Labrador retriever, Buck. The buck-toothed beaver in the red ballcap is everywhere, and visitors can take photos with a life-size Buc-ee’s mascot or a metal Buc-ee the beaver statue designed by Texas sculptor Clint Howard.
What to expect when Buc-ee’s opens
- A 74,000-square-foot travel center that’s about 39 feet tall — equivalent to a three-story building.
- An interactive kiosk with information about other places to visit in Mebane.
- Over 200 full-time jobs, starting at $18 an hour for cashiers, bathroom attendants and warehouse staff and $21 an hour for food service workers. Full-time benefits include health insurance, three weeks of paid vacation, and a 401(k).
- More creative billboards counting down the miles to Buc-ee’s, and a massive sign atop a 60- to 100-foot-tall sign post.
- Over 650 parking spaces, including 11 spaces for buses and recreational vehicles
- 120 gas pumps at 60 fueling stations, under a canopy that covers the length of the site. EV-charging sites are also planned.
- No tractor-trailer trucks. They are not allowed at Buc-ee’s, but two truck stops are nearby.
- Millions of dollars in property and sales tax revenues for Alamance County, Mebane and surrounding areas. About 80% of Buc-ee’s visitors — roughly 5 million a year — drive 50 miles or more to visit a store, company officials have said.
- More development: A Koury Corp. project is under construction north of Buc-ee’s that will bring nearly 300,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space (including a Target retail store), four standalone outparcel sites, and over 680 apartments and townhomes. A Duke Health medical office is also going in between the I-85/40 off-ramp and the Koury site. More sites could be developed in the future.
This story was originally published December 31, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
