LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Crowds lined up before dawn for the grand opening of the second Buc-ee's location in Kentucky.

Employees cheered as the doors opened and exciting customers filled the store, taking pictures and browsing for their must-have items.

The company's newest travel center location is near Bowling Green in Smiths Grove, Kentucky. It's a town of 900 people, which makes it the smallest city in the country with a Buc-ee's.

Buc-ee's Smiths Grove

Buc-ee's opened its door in Smiths Grove, KY on June 24, 2024 at 6 a.m. sharp, marking second Buc-ee's store in Kentucky! (WDRB Photo) 

The Smiths Grove store is just off Interstate 65 between Louisville and Nashville. The location at 4001 Smiths Grove-Scottsville Road is the second in Kentucky. The first opened in Richmond in April 2022.

The first person in line had been to 13 different Buc-ee's locations, and was very excited about the Smiths Grove opening. He arrived at 3:15 a.m.

"This is a momentous occasion for our area and I'm very excited to be a part of history," Lincoln Rowe said. "I'm a beaver believer." 

The official ribbon-cutting at noon includes a number of dignitaries, including U.S. Sen. Rand Paul; Rocky Adkins, senior advisor to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear; Smiths Grove Mayor David Stiffey; Smiths Grove city commissioners; Warren County Judge-Executive Doug Gorman and former Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon.

The new 53,000-square-foot store will feature all the Buc-ee's favorites, including Texas barbeque, homemade fudge, jerky and, of course, Beaver Nuggets.

Customers this morning were gathered around the breakfast station and one man was taking some breakfast tacos all the way to Columbus, Ohio for his brother!

This Buc-ee's will offer its signature award-winning restrooms along with 120 gas pumps.

WDRB's Chris Sutter got a first hand look at what he called the "spacious" stalls!

The grand opening of Buc-ee's brings at least 200 jobs to the area, with starting pay beginning well above minimum wage, full benefits, a 6% matching 401(k) and three weeks of paid vacation.

Buc-ee’s was founded in 1982. The Smiths Grove is the company's 50th store, which are spread across Texas and much of the south. Since beginning its multi-state expansion in 2019, Buc-ee’s has opened travel centers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, and Colorado.

Buc-ee’s broke ground on the first Virginia and Mississippi locations earlier this year.

For more information, visit www.buc-ees.com.

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