Buc-ee’s sets Dec. 11 opening date

The Springfield location of national travel center chain Buc-ee’s has an opening date.

Dec. 11 is the scheduled grand opening for the 53,000-square-foot store at 3284 N. Mulroy Road, along Interstate 44, according to a news release. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 11 a.m. that day.

The Springfield travel center is the first in Missouri for Buc-ee's. The Queen City store brings Buc-ee's up to 47 locations, all of which are in the southern United States.

“Springfield is rich with history that attracts travelers from all across the country, and we are honored to be opening our first store in the birthplace of Route 66,” said Stan Beard, director of real estate for Buc-ee’s, in the release. “We are thrilled to bring Buc-ee’s to the community and treat our road-trippers to the hospitality that Missouri is known for.”

Buc-ee’s is slated to employ 200 full-time employees at the Springfield travel center.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in August 2022 for the roughly $60 million store, according to past reporting. Chattanooga, Tennessee-based BerryHutton Construction served as general contractor for the project designed by Houston, Texas-based LA Architects LLC, Springfield Business Journal previously reported.

In January 2022, Beard described the concept during a Springfield City Council meeting.

"Dare I say we’re the Bass Pro [Shops] of the convenience store world. We’re not a pull-in-and-buy-a-can-of-Copenhagen store. We’re a pull-in, oh-my-gosh-I’ve-just-spent-$150-at-Buc-ee’s," Beard told council at the time.