Bad news for Buc-ee’s fans. The incoming Mississippi Gulf Coast location has seemingly delayed its opening until next year.
According to a report from the Sun Herald, the $50 million store in Harrison County is now expected to open in summer 2025. This comes after an original opening date was announced for spring 2025 before officials moved the timeline up to as soon as November 2024 earlier this year.
“Buc-ee’s does not comment on their ongoing construction projects,” a Buc-ee’s spokesperson told the newspaper. “But I can confirm that the opening is currently slated for summer 2025.”
The delay is not necessarily surprising as a plethora of roadwork has been and continues to be underway along Interstate 10 to prepare for the influx of traffic that Buc-ee’s locations across the nation have historically received. The county has invested $15 million to rebuild the intersection at the Menge Avenue exit to accommodate not only Buc-ee’s but other developments that may surround the colossal convenience store.
In addition, I-10 is being widened from four to six lanes through Harrison and Hancock counties to the Louisiana state line after funding was provided through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.
Mississippi’s first Buc-ee’s location will be one of the largest to date, set to round out at 74,000 square feet. It will include 120 fueling positions, 24 EV charging stations, and a car wash. Mississippi is part of the Texas-based travel center’s incoming eight-state expansion that also includes North Carolina, Colorado, Louisiana, Missouri, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
