Buc-ee's Halts Plans to Move Into Louisiana

HOUSTON — Buc-ee's first foray outside its home state will have to wait now that the retailer is pulling back on plans to open a location in Louisiana.

In March, Buc-ee's revealed plans to open a 60,000-square-foot retail store with more than 90 fueling stations at the Greens at Millerville, a 56-acre development in Baton Rouge, La., as CSNews Online previously reported.

However, the company has now canceled those plans because it was unable to secure additional locations in Louisiana, according to WBRZ.com.

Buc-ee's business model is to operate numerous stores near each other to "overcome the regulatory costs, management costs, and out-of-state costs" associated with operating the business, Jeff Nadalo, the company's general counsel, told the news outlet.

"To date we have only been able to secure one site. As a result, we have decided not to move forward in Baton Rouge. Buc-ee's is excited to continue its pursuit of going outside of Texas, but for now needs to pursue a growth strategy that makes sense for the company, its employees, and most importantly, Buc-ee's customers," Nadalo wrote in an emailed statement.

Houston-based Buc-ee's has 32 locations in Texas, 11 of which are travel centers. In addition to its Texas-centric merchandise mix, the retailer is well-known for its large, clean bathrooms.