Buc-ee’s breaks ground in Mebane. Here’s when its first NC store could open.

Massive dozers and trucks were busy leveling the site last week for the state’s first Buc-ee’s travel center in Alamance County, tentatively expected to open in May 2027.

Mebane spokeswoman Kelly Hunter said the 74,000-square-foot Buc-ee’s travel center on Trollingwood-Hawfields Road has most of its site development permits, which let crews prepare the land and add pavement, landscaping and drainage.

The city is still reviewing the building plans, Hunter said, and Buc-ee’s has not yet applied for permits to construct the travel center at Exit 152 on I-85/40. A Buc-ee’s spokesperson confirmed the tentative opening date Wednesday.

Site development could take about six months, Rowdy Posey, a J. Raymond Construction superintendent, told The News & Observer last week. Crews installed two rows of silt fencing and are taking extra care to keep stormwater runoff from sending dirt into a creek on site, he said.

Buc-ee’s won’t open for at least another year, but the Texas-based company is already generating excitement and changes to Mebane’s once-rural fringes.

Walls are going up at Koury Corp.’s mixed-use project north of I-40/I-85, which will add 299,565 square feet of retail and restaurants, four standalone outparcel sites, an office and medical campus, and 683 apartments and townhomes to 83 acres.

A Duke Health medical office is also going in between the I-85/40 off-ramp and the Koury site.

The N.C. Department of Transportation started work this spring to expand the bridge across I-40/85, improve the interchange and add more travel lanes. The project budget is $38.7 million, with Buc-ee’s paying about $10 million, NCDOT officials have said.

Most of the road work has to be done before Buc-ee’s can open.

How could Buc-ee’s affect Mebane?

The Mebane City Council approved Buc-ee’s site plan in 2024, after the travel center giant dropped its plans for an Efland site in Orange County because of strong community opposition.

Some people aren’t happy with the Alamance County location either. Besides environmental concerns, those criticizing the project worry about more traffic, lights and noise, as well as the development of land that was historically home to Native American tribes.

Others are anticipating thousands of visitors and millions of dollars in property and sales tax revenues from Buc-ee’s. About 80% of the travel center’s visitors — roughly 5 million a year — drive 50 miles or more to visit a store, company officials have said.

Mebane’s rapid commercial and residential growth, primarily on the southern boundary and to the east in Orange County, has already increased its population by more than 16% since 2020 to over 21,000 residents. Retail stores and industry have also moved in, including Walmart, Amazon, UPS and Lidl, adding millions of square feet of warehouses and distribution centers.

Another 400,000 square feet is cleared for warehouse development beside the Buc-ee’s site.

When will Buc-ee’s open?

A company spokesperson confirmed Wednesday that the travel center is on schedule for May 2027 opening, although that date is subject to change, she said.

If you want to see what the hype is all about, the nearest store is off Interstate 95 in Florence, South Carolina. There are also stores off Interstates 40 and 66 in Sevierville, Tennessee, just north of Pigeon Forge, and off Interstate 81 in Mount Crawford, Virginia.

Why is Buc-ee’s mascot a beaver?

The company’s name combines founder Arch Aplin’s childhood nickname “Beaver” and the name of his Labrador retriever Buck. The beaver mascot is everywhere, from clothing and toys to camping gear and home goods. 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 will Buc-ee’s bring?

• A 74,000-square-foot travel center on 32 acres — about half the size of Mebane’s Walmart Supercenter, and one of the largest Buc-ee’s in the United States.
• 120 gas pumps (60 stations), 650 parking spaces and 24 electric vehicle charging stations. 
• Buc-ee’s famous brisket, Beaver nuggets and a vast selection of snacks, plus local products. An interactive kiosk is planned, so visitors can learn about other places to visit in Mebane. 
• Award-winning bathrooms with dozens of large stalls, plenty of toilet paper, and a staff that works 24/7 to keep the place spotless.
• The store will not have a car wash, which is a signature feature of other Buc-ee’s travel centers.
• Tractor-trailer trucks are not allowed, but Mebane has two older travel centers with truck stops nearby.

What is it like to work at Buc-ee’s?

• The Mebane travel center could hire about 225 full-time workers. Expect to see jobs advertised a few months before it opens.
• Cashiers, bathroom attendants and warehouse staff start at $18-plus an hour. Food service workers can start at $21, with management earning $25 an hour and up. 
• Full-time employees get health insurance, three weeks of paid vacation, and a 401(k). 
• The company does not hire employees with visible tattoos, body piercings, tongue posts, or unnatural colored hair.
• Buc-ee’s has a strict dress code: Tan, khaki or black pants and a red shirt with a collar. A red sweater or coat is allowed in colder weather. No open toe shoes or torn or faded clothing.
• Get more information at buc-ees.com/careers.

This story was originally published November 12, 2025 at 2:57 PM.

Tammy Grubb

The News & Observer

919-829-8926

Tammy Grubb has written about Orange County’s politics, people and government since 2010. She is a UNC-Chapel Hill alumna and has lived and worked in the Triangle for over 30 years.