OAK CREEK, Wis. — A mega-sized travel center chain will soon have its first location within 100 miles of the Chicagoland area.
A Buc-ee’s is coming to Oak Creek, Wis., just over 80 miles north up Interstate 94 from Chicago, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other outlets reported this week. The Oak Creek Plan Commission gave its final approval by an 8-0 vote Tuesday, according to the Journal Sentinel.
It will be the first location for the Texas-based chain anywhere in the Upper Midwest or Great Lakes region.
Buc-ee’s is known for its sprawling convenience stores, boasting on its website that the one in Luling, Texas, is the world’s largest convenience store at 75,593 square feet. Buc-ee’s also claims that it has “the cleanest restrooms in America” and is famous for its Beaver Nuggets, a sweet and crunchy snack made from puffed corn and coated in a brown-sugar caramel glaze.
The closest Buc-ee’s location to the Chicagoland area right now would be the one in Springfield, Mo., or Richmond, Ky.
Per the listing on its website, Buc-ee’s currently has four locations in Alabama, one in Colorado, two in Florida, three in Georgia, two in Kentucky, one in Mississippi, one in Missouri, one in South Carolina, two in Tennessee, one in Virginia, and 36 in Texas.
According to the Journal Sentinel, the Buc-ee’s in Oak Creek could open in early 2027 and will feature a 73,370-square-foot convenience store, 120 fueling stations and 20 electric vehicle chargers.
Tuesday’s decision by the Oak Creek Plan Commission means Buc-ee’s can close on the nearly 30-acre property and apply for permits to begin construction, according to the Journal Sentinel. The paper reports the store will employ about 200 to 250 full-time workers, earning $18 to $20 per hour, plus benefits.
The Journal Sentinel also reports that Buc-ee’s is eyeing another Wisconsin location in DeForest, just north of Madison, but those plans have been slowed by financial negotiations.
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