By Mickey Shuey
Indianapolis Business Journal
For The Republic
JOHNSON COUNTY — Cult-favorite gas station chain Buc-ee’s is in late-stage discussions to open at least one mega travel center in central Indiana.
The Texas-based company is nearing a deal to purchase a nearly 28-acre site off of East Worthsville Road and Interstate 65 in Greenwood as well as portions of multiple adjacent properties, three sources familiar with the matter told IBJ this week.
Additional sources told IBJ the company is also eyeing an undisclosed area in Boone County, potentially for a second location. If those plans come to fruition, the central Indiana locations would be the closest pair of any of the chain’s stores outside of its home state, located no more than 50 miles apart.
Each of the sources spoke to IBJ on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matters publicly.
While specifics have not been disclosed, it’s expected a Buc-ee’s development would feature an oversized 24-hour convenience store, expansive parking and dozens of gas pumps for passenger and commercial vehicles, which are the elements present at its 54 locations across portions of the south and eastern U.S.
One source told IBJ Buc-ees has an agreement in principle with the city of Greenwood as well as the owners of the neighboring parcels. Another source described the deal as being “quite close” to the finish line.
A spokesperson for the city of Greenwood declined to comment, citing a nondisclosure agreement. A spokesperson for Buc-ee’s also declined to comment in an email response to questions from IBJ.
Building Indiana’s first Buc-ee’s
Sources said Buc-ee’s has signed a letter of intent to buy the Johnson County property, but is still working through acquisition plans for parts of neighboring parcels necessary for right-of-ways, utilities and other project infrastructure.
The company is not expected to close on the purchase of the main parcel until sometime in 2026, following an inspection and due diligence period of at least six months, two sources said. That process will include rezoning the property from its current industrial designation to one that allows for gas station-inclusive commercial development.
Buc-ee’s travel centers sell a variety of products, including clothing, housewares, candy and many types of jerky. (Adobe Stock photo)
It must also still finalize a development agreement with the city of Greenwood, with sources expecting a deal to include incentives and plans for the widening of Worthsville Road and a new intersection design at County Road 250 East.
Construction on the property would likely take about two years, putting an opening sometime in 2028 or later.
Buc-ee’s locations are generally spaced more than 100 miles apart from one another outside of Texas. The company’s operations in Daytona Beach and St. Augustine, Florida, at roughly 60 miles apart, are the closest of any two locations outside the company’s home state.
Two sources told IBJ the company has spent several years evaluating sites across Indiana for locations, mostly along Interstates 65 and 70, and is open to additional locations in the state.
A beloved brand
Buc-ee’s, which got its start in Lake Jackson, Texas, in the 1980s, is best known for its massive convenience stores and abundance of gas pumps. Generally considered “travel centers,” the locations see hundreds of thousands of visits per year, with many making a special trip to visit due to the brand’s novelty.
The Buc-ee’s mascot is a fan favorite, featured on many of the products sold in the massive travel centers. (Adobe Stock photo)
The brand’s iconic mascot, a beaver wearing a red cap, is featured prominently on many of the items sold in the company’s massive travel centers. In addition to selling traditional convenience store fare such as snacks, candies and sodas, Buc-ee’s sells a wide range of merchandise, housewares and clothing.
The company touts two world records: the largest convenience store (its Luling, Texas, store clocks in at 75,593 square feet) and the world’s longest car wash (its Katy, Texas, location has 255 feet of conveyor). And in 2012, service industry supplier Cintas dubbed the restrooms in the brand’s New Braunfels, Texas, store the cleanest in the country.
The company has locations in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
And it has a flurry of construction activity planned for the coming years: the company is building stores in Tennessee, southern Kentucky and Ohio that will open in 2026, a store south of Milwaukee that will open in 2027 and multiple locations in Florida.
