BENTON, Ark. — The Buc-ee’s empire continues to expand. However, this time it will be a little closer to the Lone Star State.
The Texas-based gas station chain announced it will build a new location up Interstate 30 in Benton, Ark. southwest of Little Rock. This will be Arkansas’ first Buc-ee’s location.
According to our sister station 11THV, the announcement Friday when the Buc-ee’s beaver mascot made a surprise appearance in front of thousands of fans at War Memorial Stadium right before the kickoff of the 2024 Salt Bowl.
The Salt Bowl is an annual high school game between Saline County’s two largest cities, Benton and Bryant.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders shared the big news in a video announcement that was shown at the game.
"It's been rumored for months, but it's time to make it official. Buc-ee's is coming to Arkansas and Saline County, right in the heart of our state will be its home. Arkansans and visitors won't have to leave our state to enjoy this must-visit pit stop," she said.
Benton Mayor Tom Farmer officially signed off on the deal earlier in the week.
"They [Buc-ee's] have signed all the contracts, and everyone else has signed what needs to be signed. They're still waiting on a slight permit, and they can't do anything until they get to permit. So we are still waiting on that. But right now, everything's ongoing," Farmer said.
The pit stop will be coming to Benton and will be found between exits 114 and 116 along I-30.
It’s a deal that’s been in the works for more than a year.
"This is a fantastic move for our county, for our city, for the citizens, but more importantly, for the state of Arkansas, because it's bigger than just Saline County," Farmer said.
As for an expected completion date, the mayor couldn't provide that answer yet, but the process is expected to move right along right after the city gets that one last permit.
This latest news of expansion comes as the Texas chain eyes potential locations in Louisiana and Oklahoma.
