AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – After commuters in the Amarillo area may have noticed the appearance of building equipment and supplies at 9900 E I-40 in recent weeks, Buc-ee’s hosted an official groundbreaking ceremony for its incoming location.

Buc-ee’s detailed that the groundbreaking ceremony is expected to be held on Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. at the new location’s site, and will include appearances by former and current city officials.

According to Buc-ee’s, its new Amarillo location will occupy 74,000 square feet and host 108 fueling positions and 24 EV charging stations. The company also noted that its location will bring at least 200 full-time jobs to the area, with “starting pay beginning well above minimum wage, full benefits, a 6% matching 401k, and three weeks of paid vacation.”

“It’s really exciting for us,” said Buc-ee’s president Beaver Aplin. “I mean, we love building stores in Texas where we started. Amarillo being up in the Panhandle. think it’s going to be a wonderful store. We don’t have any stores anywhere in this area.”

The groundbreaking will come as a major development in the Buc-ee’s Amarillo project, which was first approved by the city in February 2022 but was stalled due to legal trouble with the property. However, the company’s legal team confirmed that closing on the property had been completed in October 2022 and expected to begin construction sometime in 2023.

“Amarillo is the midpoint between Chicago and Los Angeles on the fabled Route 66,” said Stan Beard of Buc-ee’s. “I can’t think of a better place to put a Buc-ee’s.”

Buc-ee’s are known for their cleanliness, abundance of fueling stations, merchandise, food selection and hospitality.

“The hospitality, it’s all about that making the customer feel wanted making them feel happy, being hospitable,” said Aplin. “To us, hospitality is kind of the crux of it.”

Aplin shared that the current and former Amarillo city council members and the entire Amarillo community have been great to work with in the process and is proactive in promoting economic development.

“I think it’s a great investment, you know, for our community,” said Place Four councilmember Les Simpson. “We’ll be creating jobs and income and revenue. The other thing is, I think the potential for develop more development out in this area of town that has not seen as much development in the area. If you look at where Buc-ee’s goes in other parts of the state and across the country. It brings a lot of development along with it and I think that’s going to be a great thing for Amarillo as well.”

Vice president of communications and marketing for the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce Penni Bentley said Buc-ee’s will also help local sales tax and fund city services.

“‘Those sales tax dollars help increase the revenue in our city, that helps fund valuable services like the police and the fire department and infrastructure,” said Bentley. “So those sales tax dollars that people will be leaving behind in Amarillo, on their stop at Bucee’s is great.”

Founded in Texas in 1982, Buc-ee’s said its company operates 46 stores across Texas and the southern United States. Since beginning a multi-state expansion in 2019, the company has also opened travel centers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Other centers have recently also broken ground in five other cities. Fans of the brand have celebrated its clean restrooms, Beaver Nuggets and other snacks, food and drink options alongside its other products.