Buc-ees - US Mega Road Services Chain

[BF2142]

There's an American roadside services chain called Buc-ees which operate large-scale service areas - the new one in Tennessee has 120 fuel pumps. Would this work in the UK on our major routes?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buc-ee%27s#

[freebrickproductions]

The closest one to me opened-up at Exit 347 on I-65 just south of Athens, AL, I want to say last year. There are a ton of pumps there, though I don't know the exact number. Regardless of the sheer number of pumps, the place was packed when I last went by to try and get gas back in July, albeit it was on a weekend and many of those folks were undoubtedly going to/from the Gulf, not helped by the fact that they had adverts for probably close to if not over 100 miles out...
The bathrooms are easily the best public bathrooms I've seen at literally any kind of gas station/truck stop/rest area though.

That being said, ain't y'all's motorway service areas more or less the same thing, if at a slightly smaller scale?

[Bryn666]

120 pumps only remotely works if they're pay at pump otherwise you'll need a huge capacity at the payment desk. The congestion at fuel stations is typically caused by people paying for other items beyond their fuel hence the shift to pay at pump and new mobile apps.

Given ICE vehicles are going to be on their way out in the next 20 years, investing in mega petrol stations seems a bit short-sighted unless the plan is to convert and use these giant forecourts as EV charging docks in future in which case they're ahead of the curve.

[KeithW]

Looking at news reports they seem to have focussed in on electric car charging as a rising market so a large number of fuelling/recharge stations makes sense, one new outlet apparently has 10 Tesla Supercharger outlets as well as more generic charging stations. It seems the idea is you drive in, put the car on charge and walk into the large retail outlet attached, have a meal and maybe do a little shopping.

As for cash that has been a dying market anyway, there were darned few places I paid for gas with cash in the 90's when I worked there and when I did I had to pay up front and then go into the gas station to get my change.

[BF2142]

The closest one to me opened-up at Exit 347 on I-65 just south of Athens, AL, I want to say last year. There are a ton of pumps there, though I don't know the exact number. Regardless of the sheer number of pumps, the place was packed when I last went by to try and get gas back in July, albeit it was on a weekend and many of those folks were undoubtedly going to/from the Gulf, not helped by the fact that they had adverts for probably close to if not over 100 miles out...
The bathrooms are easily the best public bathrooms I've seen at literally any kind of gas station/truck stop/rest area though.

That being said, ain't y'all's motorway service areas more or less the same thing, if at a slightly smaller scale?

Yes - this is pretty much a standard motorway service area offering: https://www.welcomebreak.co.uk/locations/south-mimms/

[6637]

Can't imagine a much bigger motorway petrol station getting use unless they were to drop their prices to be in line with supermarket prices– how many people are really going to voluntarily pay the extra £10 to fill up their tank at motorway prices?

[Berk]

Presumably they don’t charge more in America?? Otherwise no-one would go there (they’re as sensitive to price moves as we are, if not more so).

[KeithW]

Presumably they don’t charge more in America?? Otherwise no-one would go there (they’re as sensitive to price moves as we are, if not more so).

Its marginal at best, there are the current cheapest in Columbus Ohio.

Lowest Gas Prices in Columbus US dollars ger gallon
Price Station Address City Time
3.38 GetGo 3765 S Hamilton Rd Columbus Aug 22, 4:43 PM
3.42 GetGo 2888 Bethel Rd Columbus Aug 22, 11:30 PM
3.47 United Dairy Farmers 3535 Clime Rd Columbus Aug 22, 6:17 PM
3.47 Circle K 411 Georgesville Rd Columbus Aug 22, 4:47 PM
3.47 United Dairy Farmers 1043 W Broad St Columbus Aug 22, 4:05 PM
3.48 Speedway 1430 W Lane Ave Upper Arlington Aug 22, 11:30 PM
3.49 BP 3458 S HAMILTON RD Columbus Aug 23, 6:30 AM
3.49 Kroger 6095 Gender Rd Canal Winchester Aug 22, 7:54 PM
3.49 United Dairy Farmers 530 S Hague Ave Columbus Aug 22, 5:54 PM

[Truvelo]

Can't imagine a much bigger motorway petrol station getting use unless they were to drop their prices to be in line with supermarket prices– how many people are really going to voluntarily pay the extra £10 to fill up their tank at motorway prices?

Not if you have a fuel card. The ones we use charge the same price regardless of the pump price. I suspect the majority of customers at MSA filling stations pay with fuel cards or only pay without one if they are running on fumes and desperately need to fill up before running out.

[freebrickproductions]

Presumably they don’t charge more in America?? Otherwise no-one would go there (they’re as sensitive to price moves as we are, if not more so).

Its marginal at best, there are the current cheapest in Columbus Ohio.

Lowest Gas Prices in Columbus US dollars ger gallon
Price Station Address City Time
3.38 GetGo 3765 S Hamilton Rd Columbus Aug 22, 4:43 PM
3.42 GetGo 2888 Bethel Rd Columbus Aug 22, 11:30 PM
3.47 United Dairy Farmers 3535 Clime Rd Columbus Aug 22, 6:17 PM
3.47 Circle K 411 Georgesville Rd Columbus Aug 22, 4:47 PM
3.47 United Dairy Farmers 1043 W Broad St Columbus Aug 22, 4:05 PM
3.48 Speedway 1430 W Lane Ave Upper Arlington Aug 22, 11:30 PM
3.49 BP 3458 S HAMILTON RD Columbus Aug 23, 6:30 AM
3.49 Kroger 6095 Gender Rd Canal Winchester Aug 22, 7:54 PM
3.49 United Dairy Farmers 530 S Hague Ave Columbus Aug 22, 5:54 PM

According to Google Maps, the Buc-ee's near Athens is currently charging about $3.30/gal, while the gas stations up in Athens are usually charing around $3.50/gal, give or take 10¢. The lowest I saw checking Google Maps just now is $3.40/gal at the Murphy USA (Walmart) in Athens. The other two gas stations on Huntsville-Brownsferry Road in/near Tanner, the two closest to the Buc-ee's, are charing $3.50/gal, per Google Maps.

[RichardA626]

It's interesting that services aren't allowed on the Interstates, hence the Gas Food Lodging signs at exits.

[Bryn666]

It's interesting that services aren't allowed on the Interstates, hence the Gas Food Lodging signs at exits.

This was following lobbying from towns on US routes that would've lost business, particularly those on US-66 (which is partially the plot of Cars!). The pre-interstate toll roads all have online service areas as they were grandfathered in.

[roadtester]

Interesting subject.

I’m not familiar with the sites but one notable aspect, if the Wikipedia entry is correct, is that they don’t cater for large trucks, which must give things a bit of a different character to a European MSA.

[WHBM]

I understand Bucees are principally a Texas chain, with a few other outliers across the South. Like existing "gas food lodging" combinations they are just off the freeway at major junctions, with the characteristic 100 foot high-plus signs so you can see them coming, which I once had some professional dealings with a US contractor who assembled and installed these. The best quarter of the junction to be located in, and the highest land price, is that which is turning right, and first right again at the exit from the principal target traffic flow, as that's what people unfamiliar with the area do. The fully national truckstop chains seem to change their names every 10 years or so - the ones I once knew as Speedway became Flying J and then changed again to Pilot (good business for the high sign installers ! ). It does seem that fuel supply in the US, which once was all under oil company brands, is slowly shifting to more general purpose locations and branding, not dissimilar to what Applegreen do in Ireland.

Locally run coffee shops, of the type shown in the movie "Convoy", have also pretty much disappeared within these places, replaced by ranks of national brand fast/junk food brands like Subway and McDonalds. Too bad, I feel.

[rhyds]

The problem with "mom and pop" places is you're never sure what you're going to get. At least with a branded offering you've got a good idea of what its going to be available and what the opening hours are.

[exiled]

The problem with "mom and pop" places is you're never sure what you're going to get. At least with a branded offering you've got a good idea of what its going to be available and what the opening hours are.

I think that is a very important bit. On the journey you know what you're getting. A small cafe might be a delight in your own town, or in a holiday destination, but on the move getting what you know has a lot of advantages.

[Berk]

It's interesting that services aren't allowed on the Interstates, hence the Gas Food Lodging signs at exits.

This was following lobbying from towns on US routes that would've lost business, particularly those on US-66 (which is partially the plot of Cars!). The pre-interstate toll roads all have online service areas as they were grandfathered in.

Isn't that a better system, though?? Rather than people saying “oh, isn’t xxxx services wonderful??” When really it’s a pile of .

Even if MSA food outlets are “OK”, they’re usually overpriced. Says everything about the type of punters that frequent them (lorry drivers excepted).

[Berk]

The best quarter of the junction to be located in, and the highest land price, is that which is turning right, and first right again at the exit from the principal target traffic flow, as that's what people unfamiliar with the area do.

Much the same as turning left over here. Notable that Ferrybridge and South Mimms are positioned that way for southbound, but not northbound.

Locally run coffee shops, of the type shown in the movie "Convoy", have also pretty much disappeared within these places, replaced by ranks of national brand fast/junk food brands like Subway and McDonalds. Too bad, I feel.

Quite.

[Bryn666]

It's interesting that services aren't allowed on the Interstates, hence the Gas Food Lodging signs at exits.

This was following lobbying from towns on US routes that would've lost business, particularly those on US-66 (which is partially the plot of Cars!). The pre-interstate toll roads all have online service areas as they were grandfathered in.

Isn't that a better system, though?? Rather than people saying “oh, isn’t xxxx services wonderful??” When really it’s a pile of .

Even if MSA food outlets are “OK”, they’re usually overpriced. Says everything about the type of punters that frequent them (lorry drivers excepted).

The reason for high prices at MSAs has been covered in depth many times by others. Most MSAs are now deemed to be adequate at provision for basic food, people know what they're getting and they don't want to sit around for 45 minutes in an unknown place.

[rhyds]

The problem with "mom and pop" places is you're never sure what you're going to get. At least with a branded offering you've got a good idea of what its going to be available and what the opening hours are.

I think that is a very important bit. On the journey you know what you're getting. A small cafe might be a delight in your own town, or in a holiday destination, but on the move getting what you know has a lot of advantages.

The one that always annoys me is when you get to a town at 4:30pm, only to find all the independent cafes shut at 4pm but the pubs don't serve dinner till 5:30pm. At least a McDonald's is open all day and most of the evening!