JOHNSTOWN, Colo. — The Buc-ee's beaver is ready for its Colorado debut.
The Texas-based travel store and gas station chain opened its first Colorado location on Monday.
Located north of the Denver metro area, at the southwest corner of Interstate 25 and County Road 48 in Johnstown, the new Buc-ee's opened to the public at 6 a.m.
Crowds began gathering Sunday night to be first inside the store Monday morning.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was planned for 11 a.m. Monday with local and state leaders.
The 74,000-square-foot Johnstown travel center has 116 fueling positions and 12 EV charging stations.
Known for its award-winning clean bathrooms. All Buc-ee's operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The store will serve Buc-ee’s favorites including Beaver nuggets, Texas barbeque, fudge, kolaches, jerky and pastries.
Buc-ee's has been at work constructing the Colorado location since a groundbreaking ceremony in June 2022.
“We picked a great partner in the community of Johnstown for our first store in Colorado,” said Stan Beard of Buc-ee’s. “At the foothills of the beautiful northern Front Range, this Buc-ee’s will introduce all sorts of bikers, hikers, skiers and campers to the cleanest restrooms, friendliest staff, and freshest food they’ll ever find on a road trip.”
> Watch below: Crowds enter Colorado's Buc-ee's for the first time:
Buc-ee's is hiring more than 200 workers for the Colorado store.
Positions include cashier, merchandise associate, food service, warehouse stocker, grocery stocker, janitorial, human resources and management. Applications are being accepted online.
The company said starting pay is $18 to $23 per hour and wages are paid weekly.
“This is something that’s going to be an amazing thing for the town of Johnstown and the entire region,” said Johnstown Mayor Gary Lebsack. “We look at this as the gateway to retail for northern Colorado. We’re really excited to have Buc-ee’s in Johnstown. It’s a wonderful day.”
The Colorado Buc-ee's was to become the largest Buc-ee's in the country, but a new center in Luling, Texas, will occupy more than 75,000 square feet, making it the largest Buc-ee's ever built.
“We’re blessed to be in such a wonderful country, and to have the opportunity to build here and serve people,” said Buc-ee’s co-founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin III. “I always knew Colorado would be a wonderful state for Buc-ee’s. The people in this state are our kind of customer: active, traveling, wanting to be outdoors. We made a big leap geographically to get here, and we’re excited about it. We’re not looking back.”
The planned Colorado location signals the first move outside of the South for Buc-ee's. Between Alabama, Florida and Georgia, Buc-ee's has more than 50 locations, with more than 40 in Texas alone.
Since beginning its expansion in 2019, Buc-ee’s has opened travel centers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Missouri.
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