US News Bulletin report

Buc-ee's Builds in Port Charlotte Despite Resident Opposition

September 23, 2026 By Thad

Buc-ee’s is moving ahead with a travel center in Port Charlotte even as neighbors say they do not want it near the Peace River. That tension sits inside a much larger story. The Texas-based chain has announced six new locations. It plans to open six more stores in 2027. A Fort Pierce store meant for 2027 will open in 2028. Arkansas will get its second Buc-ee’s in 2029. A Buc-ee’s is scheduled to open in Ocala in 2029.

The company keeps growing while some communities push back. That is the quiet worry I feel when I read the filings with my morning coffee. Growth is good for jobs and tax rolls. It also changes the feel of a place. People notice. They show up to meetings. They ask questions about flood risk and traffic. They want answers before the first truck rolls in.

Charlotte County approved the site plan for the Port Charlotte location earlier this month. The project calls for a 74,000-square-foot travel center with 120 fueling stations. Local reporting says about 200 people would work there when it opens. During the hearing, some residents warned of environmental risks near the Peace River. Others said the project would bring needed jobs and services. The commissioners voted to move forward. The approval came with conditions and ongoing reviews of stormwater plans. That is how these decisions usually land. Not with a slam, but with a careful yes.

A proposal aims to put a Buc-ee’s in Tallahassee. That one still waits on county leaders. Work has begun on the Buc-ee’s location in Forsyth, Georgia. When it opens, the Forsyth store will become Georgia’s fourth Buc-ee’s. Kansas City will soon have Kansas’s first Buc-ee’s. A Buc-ee’s location is being discussed for Whitestown, Indiana. Greenwood, Indiana may receive the state’s first Buc-ee’s. A new Buc-ee’s is underway in Oak Grove, Kentucky. A location in Lafayette, Louisiana is not expected to finish until 2028. Construction has started on a potential Buc-ee’s in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Buc-ee’s is trying to open two new stores in Virginia. Springville, Utah is reportedly going to have a Buc-ee’s.

The map keeps filling in. The company opened its westernmost location earlier this year in Goodyear, Arizona. It opened Ohio’s first store this year too. It entered Virginia in 2025 and Colorado the year before. Louisiana, Kansas and Wisconsin are among the states expected to get their first stores by the end of 2027. More locations are planned through 2031.

At the grand opening of the Benton, Arkansas store last month, founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin III spoke about where the chain wants to build. “People appreciate what we build here,” he said. He added that a “Conservative, business-friendly concept works from the top.” Those lines were reported by several outlets. They signal a clear strategy. The company wants states and counties where permits move faster and rules feel lighter. That is a business choice. It is also a political one.

I do not cheer or boo that stance. I watch what it means for ordinary people. In some towns, a new Buc-ee’s is a big deal. It brings jobs. It gives travelers a clean restroom and a hot brisket sandwich at odd hours. It draws crowds on opening day. In other towns, it stirs worry about sprawl, water, and traffic. Both reactions are real. Both matter when a county weighs a site plan.

Port Charlotte shows the split. Some neighbors say the project sits too close to a flood-prone river. They fear spills and runoff. They do not want 120 pumps near their homes. Others say the chain will hire locally and pay taxes. They want the convenience. The county heard both sides and approved the plan. That does not end the debate. It moves it into the next phase of permits and construction checks.

The company’s own timeline shows how fast this is moving. Six stores are set for 2027. More follow in 2028 and 2029. The Fort Pierce store meant for 2027 will open in 2028. Arkansas will get its second Buc-ee’s in 2029. Ocala is on the books for 2029. The list goes on. It reads like a road trip across the South and Midwest.

I keep coming back to the human scale. A new store is more than a point on a map. It is a place where people will work. It is a place where families will stop on long drives. It is also a place that changes the street outside it. More cars. More lights. More noise at dawn. Those things add up. They shape daily life.

Buc-ee’s expansion shows a focus on business-friendly states and travel corridors. That focus increases retail competition in those markets. It also tests how fast local governments can handle big projects. Some will keep pace. Some will struggle. The ones that listen to residents early tend to avoid bigger fights later.

For now, the chain keeps building. It keeps announcing new sites. It keeps saying that people appreciate what it brings. In Port Charlotte, not everyone agrees. That disagreement is part of the story. It will be part of the next story too, in the next town on the list.