Sneak peek: Take a virtual tour of the Florence, SC Buc-ee’s before it opens Monday
South Carolina’s first-ever Buc-ee’s gas station opens Monday, May 16, bringing with it Texas barbecue, award-winning restrooms and more gas pumps than seems imaginable.
But on Friday, first responders from across the state got a chance to get a sneak peek of the famous Texas gas station. We went with them for an exclusive preview tour and to see if South Carolinians would agree with all of the hype surrounding what, ultimately, is a gas station.
Even though Buc-ee’s was still a few days away from opening, hundreds of employees were already on hand preparing food, cleaning, offering up free samples and answering any question customers might think to ask.
The first responder lunch is something Buc-ee’s does at all of its new openings these days. Buc-ee’s director of Bar-B-Que Randy Pauly said it’s a chance to say thank you to the local community for welcoming them and a good trial run for the new employees, many of whom have never worked in a Buc-ee’s before.
“Our whole customer base is dashboard dining,” Pauly said, though usually that’s on vacations or other road trips for those customers. But first responders, he said, “They’re eating on their dashboard every day because of the career choice they chose, which is a blessing. Without them, we wouldn’t be as safe.”
This was Pauly’s 12th store opening since he joined the company six years ago. He’s spent most of the last month on the road. What makes up for it, though, is getting to be around all of the Buc-ee’s employees and the energy and passion they bring to work. Like its award-winning clean restrooms, Buc-ee’s is especially known for the kindness and hospitality of its workers.
“I love my wife, all my kids, and they’re young, and so (traveling) is the hardest part,” he said. “But (the employees), they make it easier on me because I get to hang with them, and I get to hear their stories, their family stories and everything and just their life lessons.”
Because the gas station isn’t fully open just yet, guests on Friday were limited to trying food. But the word “limited” is a bit of an understatement considering Buc-ee’s had hundreds upon hundreds of meals, drinks, snacks and desserts to pick from.
Before Buc-ee’s opened to the first responders, director of operations Josh Smith gave the staff members working a pep talk, to which the dozens of employees responded with clapping and cheers.
“Watch people as they walk in because their jaws are going to drop because they’ve never seen something like this,” Smith said. “They’re going to get that Southern hospitality that I know every single one of you in this building is going to deliver, and we’re going to knock their socks off.”
Pauly, an award-winning barbecue chef from Texas, joined the company six years ago and is the embodiment of excitement. After the guests began to arrive, he was a whirlwind going around the store talking to as many of them as he could.
The place was bustling less than an hour into the lunch, with more than 100 customers wandering around the massive store. Orders of freshly made sandwiches were being called out over the speakers, and the “Texas Round Up” table in the center where most of the barbecue sandwiches were served was bustling.
Every time a new slab of brisket was pulled out, the crew cutting it would chant, “Fresh brisket on the board!”
Keisha Waiters of the West Florence Fire Department was one of the first people to arrive Friday. She tried the sausage on a stick and had also picked up the cake ball tray for dessert. Waiters was visiting with her aunt, who said the chopped brisket sandwich was “delicious.” Asked if trying the beef brisket made them a traitor to the Palmetto State, which is known for pulled pork barbecue, the pair laughed.
“(Buc-ee’s) is in South Carolina now, so it’s a win-win,” Waiters said.
Waiters had also tried the kettle cooked “beaver chips,”which she recommended dipping in the Buc-ee’s barbecue sauce.
What was most important to Waiters, though, was the beaver nuggets.
“I do love the little Buc-ee’s nuggets,” she said. “I’m getting a bag before I leave.”
Some of the visitors Friday were overwhelmed with the sheer magnitude of the 53,000-square-foot convenience store. One person, as she walked out, said, “This isn’t a gas station. This is like a club.”
South Carolina Highway Patrol recruiter Lena Butler was another first-time visitor to Buc-ee’s. She tried the key lime fudge and had a barbecue turkey sandwich, which she said was excellent. Butler said she’s been excited about the arrival of Buc-ee’s for a while now.
“It’s something new to the area,” she said. “It’s big. They offer more than fast food. It’s more than a convenience store.”
Not everyone visiting the store Friday was a first-timer. Florence County EMS paramedic Ryan Steen went on a vacation to Gulf Shores, Alabama, earlier this spring and stopped at the Robertsdale, Alabama, Buc-ee’s on his way home. He said he tried the beaver nuggets, a sweet treat that looks like popcorn, on his first visit to Buc-ee’s and loved them. On Friday, he had two brisket sandwiches in hand for his second round.
“I love the beaver nuggets,” he said. “They’re always good.”
One big question hangs in the air for this Buc-ee’s location, which is part of the company’s recent expansion all over the South in recent years. Why Florence? Why this spot for the first location in South Carolina? The store’s second location will be in the Upstate, in Anderson and is planned to open in 2025.
Of Florence, Pauly said, “This area is awesome. They give you everything you need. Yes, we need the egress for the highway. We have space, but reality is, look at our employees. They’re the best of the best.”
The Florence Buc-ee’s officially opens its doors to the public on May 16 at 6 a.m., with a grand opening and ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. It is located at 3390 North Williston Road in Florence on the northeast corner of Interstate 95 and North Williston Road.
Oh, one more thing. We did, erm, check out the restrooms.
They are indeed spotless.
This story was originally published May 13, 2022 at 1:54 PM with the headline "Sneak peek: Take a virtual tour of the Florence, SC Buc-ee’s before it opens Monday."
