Colorado's First Buc-ee's Travel Center Opens

Hundreds of fans lined up early in the morning to be the first ones inside when the Texas convenience store Buc-ee's opened its first location in Colorado on Monday.

The massive 74,000-square-foot travel center opened at 6am to lots of excitement and energy. Buc-ee's most loyal customers camped out overnight to be among the first to visit the store known for its large food selection, award-winning clean bathrooms, and beaver mascot character.

"We're blessed to be in such a wonderful country, and to have the opportunity to build here and serve people," said co-founder Arch "Beaver" Aplin III. "I always knew Colorado would be a wonderful state for Buc-ee's. The people in this state are our kind of customer: active, traveling, wanting to be outdoors."

The Johnstown location features 116 fueling stations, 12 electric vehicle charging spots, and thousands of snack, meal and drink options including homemade fudge, barbecue, kolaches, jerky and more. It will be open 24/7.

"This is something that's going to be an amazing thing for the town of Johnstown and the entire region," said Mayor Gary Lebsack. "We look at this as the gateway to retail for northern Colorado."

To get Buc-ee's to come to town, Johnstown offered incentives lasting 20 years related to sales taxes. Buc-ee's gets 1.5% of those taxes rebated back, while the town keeps 1.5%, and 0.5% goes toward roads and infrastructure.

The arrival provides a tax revenue boost for Johnstown, which hopes to one day lower high property taxes. It's also bringing over 200 new jobs paying $18-$23 per hour.

"We picked a great partner in the community of Johnstown for our first store in Colorado," said Stan Beard of Buc-ee's. "At the foothills of the beautiful northern Front Range, this Buc-ee's will introduce all sorts of adventurers to the cleanest restrooms, friendliest staff, and freshest food they'll ever find."

The excitement in Colorado shows Buc-ee's growing popularity as a major national travel center brand as it quickly opens new stores.