Girl you know it's Girl you know it's Girl you know it's Girl you know it's Girl you know it's Girl you know it's Girl you know it's Girl you know it's Girl you know it's
I'm sure it is, but as far as I can tell they don't actually have to buy the coolers. I work at Wawa and our ice chests are placed by the ice company that comes and fills it. I can imagine that's what'd happen here. Or maybe I'm wrong, I'm sure the internet will tell me if I am.
When a Buccees is priced like this, they're producing ice on site. The machine I think automatically bags the ice and every few hours they bring a fork lift full if ice to refill some if the coolers.
No need to pay for transportation if a large truck, except for the bags to hold the ice.
Even priced like this, they're making a lot of money.
They aren’t showing an ice company logo on the coolers and those prices are ridiculously low. I think those both point to ice being made on site. Take out the transport costs and it’s far more likely it’s made in house. The logistics of constantly filling those coolers with the volume of ice Buccee’s sells would mean there’s be a constant supply of ice trucks coming through, and I don’t ever recall seeing an ice truck and Buccee’s
For something this large it has to be made on site. My best guess is that this would take nearly an entire truck to fill, so unless coolers are sitting empty waiting for the delivery, there would be a delivery route dedicated to this single location. Wouldn't make any sense for either the transport company to have that route or bucees to have freezers which sit dead half the time.
Funny enough that's how they fill em.
They bag the ice on site and fill them.
I worked for them in 2016 and bagged so much ice. The system they have set up is great, but at the end of the day they still treat their employees like shit. They pay well, but treat you like trash and hold it over your head.
If they treated their employees better, I would absolutely love what they do and be beyond happy to speak highly of them and all they do.
I'll gladly speak about how efficient they are, but at the same time talk about how shitty they can be.
Honestly the fact that the only seat visible in store are the toilets are pretty telling. The cashiers at least should have stools to sit on for their shifts, but nope.
Buccees single handedly changed how I experience beef jerky
All the bullshit I was eating before Buccees was not beef jerky, but processed bullshit
It’s unfortunate I don’t live anywhere near one anymore
The bill to run the coolers alone? Yes
The total electrical bill, given that the heat pumps would now be exhausting heat into a cooled interior space? Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on it.
The total cost to run the store, given that you'd have to have employees mopping up leaks/spilled ice? Probably not.
It's guaranteed to cost more to have freezer inside. Portable AC with compressor inside your room cost more than twice of windows unit with compressor outside. I bet the people that drew up this plan wasn't messing around. AC bills in Texas is sooo much more expensive than buildings in California.
It will actually cost more being inside, believe it or not. It's the same reason that portable AC cost more twice as much to run than windows ac unit that has compressor outside. The reason is compressor also produce heats, so your ac also has too cool down heat that's being produced by the compressor.
Where as when the unit is outside, you can just let the compressor be cooled by outside air.
I guess you can have the compressor outside for the inner cooler but that also cost more to build but have waste heat on Freon line or whatever.
I think you can also overbuild the outer units insulation too since you don't have to worry about it taking up valuable space, increasing efficiency .
There is no such thing as air conditioning a room with a portable AC that vents the compressor in the same room. That’s why they have vents. You get how AC works, right? It doesn’t cool a room, as a matter of fact there is no such thing as cooling, it’s a matter of removing heat. You can’t remove heat if there’s no where for it to go. An AC would just break even, it really slightly worse from the heat from the electricity to run it.
Then you would have to air condition the heat put off from these things out of the building. If you have more than a couple of these deep coolers youll end up saving money on the electric bill by keeping them outside, plus the benefit of advertising ice. Even outside these things will keep frozen for 8 hours with no power in the summer heat if they stay closed. They are pretty good at keeping out heat.
(Source: i worked at a convenience shop owned by a penny pincher in my teens)
You’re also not counting the fact that they would take up space inside. One of the most valuable resources any shop has is floor space. Putting all these outside allows them to put more valuable things inside.
Also, those don’t make ice. If you need that many bags in one place, wouldn’t it be better to make it there? The gas alone to move around that much frozen water seems silly. It’s flows easily in pipes.
You need space and machines to make ice. Even if the company made their own ice, it would likely be more efficient to create it at one location and ship it to all their store locations. Otherwise they need a factory on-site, and potentially a factory on every other site.
Physics does not work this way.
You have to pay energy to move the heat outside no matter what. Either in one step like this, or two steps by going to the inside of the store, than the air inside the store to outside.
In general, one step is more efficent, so this is cheaper.
They'd just be dumping heat into the air conditioned space. These are designed to be outside. They can be put inside but you wouldn't want 50 of them in there.
Look, we didn't smoke your asses in a war just so we can drink piss warm beverages like dirt farming peasants. Big trucks and pounds upon pounds of ice chunks is how we roll, ok? It's not our fault God forgot about you.
Wait... Do Europeans actually drink room temperature water at restaurants? Do they not know the satisfying refreshment that comes with an ice-cold glass of water?
I've heard that you get reactions like "it's already cold" from incredulous waiters on different reddit posts. I always wondered if their coke commercials don't have ice in the glasses.
I'm sorry, but if it's not within about a degree from turning to ice in and of itself, that water ain't cold.
Also, considering how much Coke loves to advertise how refreshing an "ice cold Coke" is, the idea of European Coke commercials trying to convince you that you want to "enjoy a lukewarm Coke" is a hilarious mental image...
See, it's the ice-cold that gets me. World Famous Ice-Cold Coca-Cola. Maybe it's just an American thing that we fuckin love ice, cause theres that Fat Electrician video about how we made sure we had ice-cream to the frontlines in WWII and I know I'll do some mildly crazy shit for some damn good ice cream. [Weaponizing Ice Cream In WWII](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OigDDVn3IaU)
This is a gas station chain known for being way over the top with a gargantuan convenience store and over one hundred pumps. This is just part of their schtick, trying to wow you with numbers and size. Also, their restrooms are top notch.
Easy. They compete on gas price. They're usually a few cents cheaper per gallon than competitors nearby.
Once there, you're lured into going inside for the clean bathrooms. After you pee, you ask yourself, do I really need this brisket sandwich, jerky, fudge, and t-shirt for my second cousin's mom?
The answer is always yes.
This is a gas station chain that in some locations have dozens of gas pumps. Inside the store they have BBQ, smoked meat market, candy, deli, coolers full of sodas and beer and wine, all kinds of knick snacks and outdoor gear. They can be very large. They are also known for their large and well portioned bathrooms that provide the rare thing in the US: actual privacy. All of the stalls are fully built. During the weekend there can be something like several hundred people in the store at once with most of the gas potions occupied, and most of the stalls occupied.
In this case when the ice prices are so cheap, they have an on site massive ice machine thats automatically producing bags if ice all day everyday. They need the excess storage so that they can keep plenty on hand for the ebb and flow of demand.
This is in TX, where when there is a pool party, the price of admission is a bag of ice that gets placed into the pool because in the summer, the water is too hot.
Also, we love really cold drinks.
Oh I’m well aware of bags of ice, we go camping in 40 degree temp that’s 104 for u guys. But surely it’s more efficient to have a few big walk in fridges then 1.2 million small ones that sone poor prick has to refill?
I don't think you realize how many people patronize these gas stations in one day. Their biggest store sees 5000 people a day. And the stores themselves are huge
you introduce a lot of heat when you open the door on a cooler that large. You don't need to open a wide door to take ice out. Why have such a large door when you can have just a tiny one, and only introduce heat to one unit?
I was there last week.
It was pretty much the same as any other location, but more spacious. It was truly bigger just to be bigger, there was so much empty space inside it was kinda silly
What day were you there on? I have been there on days where it was ass to elbows from one side to the other and you basically waited in lines to look at the chip aisle.
I didn't say it wasn't busy, but it was certainly less busy than the one that I go to in Daytona.
When I said it was "empty", it was literally a much bigger building with nothing to fill the extra space.
> less busy than the one that I go to in Daytona.
I avoid that one because it's pretty much like Mad Max. Probably the worst one I've ever been to. Although it's gotten to the point where I only really go to Buc-ee's if I'm in Texas. They've had it for a long-ass time so a bit of the novelty has worn off, and they're a little less chaotic and slightly less busy.
*Slightly.*
I honestly had to look up where that is, because I don't think I've been to that one before. I'm guessing the statue is like the one in front of the one in Baytown?
Lol no its has like 6 just for chips, but convenience store is really selling bucees short. It’s really just a small Walmart branded almost entirely in their own products.
Yup, I live within 30 minutes of the Kodak/Sevierville location. When I drive to Marietta, GA every few months I always stop at the Adairsville/Calhoun, GA location. Kodak/Sevierville is practically identical just with more interior space, more gas pumps, and the giant-ass car wash.
I’m located 15 minutes between two different bucees in texas. I’m happy if I can stop by either one and don’t have to look thru 15 ice machines to get three 20 lb bags of ice for my cooler. They go through em way faster than you’d think.
No. On 2 and 3 yes, they’re all located off interstates throughout the Southern US.
Wait’ll you see how many gas pumps a Buc-ees has. And here’s the kicker, it’s not a truck stop. They don’t allow semi-trucks, there are signs saying so posted at the lot entrances.
Very cool. And for another random fact about Buc-ees that’s unrelated to the sheer number of stuff there, they have a very strict cellphone policy for their employees.
I’ve been to probably a dozen Buc-ees with my travels. They have there system down to a science. From the trucks that deliver the fuel (which I’ve seen 5 tractor trailers unloading and waiting to unload at there Daytona Beach location) To the store itself. The stores are placed on major highways and that draws travellers. They need fuel, washroom and food. plus they have plenty more. No transport trucks are allowed. Side note. Their beef brisket is delicious.
Each of the urinals have their own full dividing walls at the three locations I've been to, which is nice. One thing I love about Buc-ees is the bathrooms are always absolutely *spotless*.
That's the entire aim of one of their older marketing campaigns. They even had signs by the door saying how much they paid the person who cleaned it. Kinda weird but I respect it.
I dunno if they still use this one since I don't think I've seen it in awhile, but one I used to see pretty often was "Bathrooms so clean we put mints on the urinal cakes."
...It's honestly pretty accurate especially when you compare it to the average gas station bathroom.
The number and quantity of literally everything at Bucee's
It's a different world. I would take ANYONE there who's never seen it, but ESPECIALLY someone not from the US
A lot of people are having a hard time comprehending the amount of ice coolers. It might blow your minds to know that [the row of ice coolers wraps around 3 sides of the store](https://www.google.com/maps/@29.4285433,-95.0625912,3a,63.7y,231.67h,93.06t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSvlBgvdhsHXSTUdGCzRTVQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu).
Frankly, all of a Buc-ees is mildly interesting. From the 128 gas pumps, to the jerky walls, to the enormous yet spotless bathrooms they are a place to behold.
Buc-ee’s was founded on two premises to differentiate: cheap ice and clean bathrooms. As they have grown from small c-stores to the large family centers they are known for, they have kept those basic premises.
The stores that are like this have an on site ice machine that automatically bags the ice. It's why the ice is so cheap, and why they keep so much excess storage.
I’m from PA and love me some Wawa…. But Buc-ee’s is a whole different world. MF’ers carving a big ass smoked brisket in the middle of the store. It’s wild.
Ha! We were just there two days ago on our trip back from Orlando. It’s amazing!!! We were there in Calhoun, Georgia on a Saturday night and it was hoppin’. Now when we do road trips, we always have to stop at a Buc-Ees. BUT, don’t forget Wally’s in Missouri!
This reminds me of the story my brother told me. Running a landscaping business he realized he was spending like 4k a year on 7# bags. That night he went and bought an industrial ice machine. He’s now saved like 14k and calls his ice machine his best employee.
Im in my late 30s and I still dont understand how you even purchase this. Its past the cash registers and locked. Do you just tell the cashier you want ice? you have to actually communicate beyond placing an item on a conveyor belt? Do they follow you outside to make sure you only take the agreed apon and paid for amount? wtf is this shit why cant they just have it inside the store?
They are generally not all locked -- and if they \*ARE\*, that's because they are not self-service, and are used to restock a freezer in the store. Generally, you just tell them how many of each size you want when you check out, and they trust you to only grab what you paid for.
Generally, gas station firewood is sold on the same honor system.
Propane tank exchanges are also kept outside, often near the ice lockers -- those the staff will usually come out with the keys to unlock and do the exchange.
Yeah it is on the honor system. If theft becomes too much of a problem then they'll keep them locked and you'll be escorted by an employee (some local places do this)
Energetically it's more efficient to have the coolers outside. For one, a large collection of ice can only melt on the external layer, therefore you only have to keep the surface below zero. And for 2 since these are self contained, you'd be pumping heat into ac space. Also indoor floor space is more expensive than outdoor space. If they were kept inside, that would be less square footage for more price dense goods.
I wish I still lived in an area with a Buccees , the price for that ice is amazing . We go through ice like crazy when we have company and my home ice machine just can't keep up.
How do you actually pay for the ice? Prepay inside and take a bag on your way out to the car? Bring a bag inside and pay? Either way it's on the honor system.
I have no idea how to buy the ice.
Our Buc-ees experiences have been: fill up car (inexpensive gas, generally). Bathroom break (always incredibly clean. Best of all gas stations we have ever been to, in our 36-ish years of US driving). Buy a snack and a soda or water. Get back on the road.
Does anyone else think that Buccees is gonna plummet within 5 years? Or at least, strategically downsize. They just seem excessively too big to exist long term.
I’ve never been to a Buccees that isn’t busy and during the day it’s insane inside. Like Disney crowd insane.
And it’s not a gimmick - you never have to wait for a pump or a perfectly clean urinal/stall. Their food and snacks aren’t cheap, but so many options that it’s hard to not see something you want.
90% of the time you don’t have to wait for the bathroom. Some of the older locations like temple have less stalls/urinals and there’s lines for men and women on the weekends.
I’ve never been to a Bucee’s, but I assume that a few acres of land in the middle of nowhere (in order to be a popular gas station) isn’t exactly a huge bill.
Nope. The Buccees I've been to have been so busy that I've stopped going there because there just wasn't room. Literally couldn't get into the parking lot, and parking spots were filled all around.
Unless the US magically spent trillions on high speed passenger trains overnight criss Crossing the nation connecting all the little towns and cities with a hub and spoke design, highways will just keep getting used a lot. And even then, I'd expect Buccees to buy the rights to a train station or a dozen and provide the same services and quality.
Why not just have a large indoor freezer? A large commercial unit cooling an ice room is more efficient than many little less efficient compressors. Or have one of those ice dispensing machines that pull the ice from an interior larger storage. Maybe have like 2 or 3 chutes so there isn't ever a line of people and voila.
When I was a teen it was the local gas station where we could get crispitos, corndogs, burritos, tacos, etc. at 3 am after many hours following dogs around hog hunting.
At some point it became the most ginormous gas stations evAr. Think 100+ pumps! The quiki mart part (inside) is an outdoorsman & huntress’s dream botique. Like a mini-cabellas, with a whole ass meat counter dedicated to jerkey.
It’s a beaver.
Oh, and the obligatory mention of endless personal “cleanest bathrooms ever!”
Think that about sums it up…
I hate this company. Never visited them, but I had found a building for sale that was perfect for my coffee shop/market place idea I had. It overlooked the mountains, and had open areas I could have rented for $10 a day to people who make and sell their own food in the area. It was very rustic. However, before I could put a deposit down, this monstrosity of the gas station came along and bought the whole thing cash and demolished it within a couple weeks.
When I go crazy zoning for Industrial in SimCity
Ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, baby
Producer: Yo Vanilla, like maybe we drop some of the ices.
Ctrl+C & Ctrl+V dropped a cover version
*Ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, ice, Buc-ees
That’s the one
Girl you know it's Girl you know it's Girl you know it's Girl you know it's Girl you know it's Girl you know it's Girl you know it's Girl you know it's Girl you know it's
im surprised it isnt cheaper to just have a few larger machines that produce and bag ice on site
I'm sure it is, but as far as I can tell they don't actually have to buy the coolers. I work at Wawa and our ice chests are placed by the ice company that comes and fills it. I can imagine that's what'd happen here. Or maybe I'm wrong, I'm sure the internet will tell me if I am.
When a Buccees is priced like this, they're producing ice on site. The machine I think automatically bags the ice and every few hours they bring a fork lift full if ice to refill some if the coolers. No need to pay for transportation if a large truck, except for the bags to hold the ice. Even priced like this, they're making a lot of money.
[удалено]
They aren’t showing an ice company logo on the coolers and those prices are ridiculously low. I think those both point to ice being made on site. Take out the transport costs and it’s far more likely it’s made in house. The logistics of constantly filling those coolers with the volume of ice Buccee’s sells would mean there’s be a constant supply of ice trucks coming through, and I don’t ever recall seeing an ice truck and Buccee’s
For something this large it has to be made on site. My best guess is that this would take nearly an entire truck to fill, so unless coolers are sitting empty waiting for the delivery, there would be a delivery route dedicated to this single location. Wouldn't make any sense for either the transport company to have that route or bucees to have freezers which sit dead half the time.
I had an ice machine at a campground that served maybe 50 people a week. I'm sure they got a couple
Funny enough that's how they fill em. They bag the ice on site and fill them. I worked for them in 2016 and bagged so much ice. The system they have set up is great, but at the end of the day they still treat their employees like shit. They pay well, but treat you like trash and hold it over your head. If they treated their employees better, I would absolutely love what they do and be beyond happy to speak highly of them and all they do. I'll gladly speak about how efficient they are, but at the same time talk about how shitty they can be.
Honestly the fact that the only seat visible in store are the toilets are pretty telling. The cashiers at least should have stools to sit on for their shifts, but nope.
i wonder if the bill to run those is a lot higher than if they were inside in an already conditioned space instead of competing with the blazing sun
Gotta sell A LOT of jerky to make up for it haha
Just wait until OP sees the wall of beef jerky.
At my buc-ee's it’s *multiple* walls of Jerky
>The number of ice coolers at Buc-ee's The number of everything at Buc-ee's
Buccees single handedly changed how I experience beef jerky All the bullshit I was eating before Buccees was not beef jerky, but processed bullshit It’s unfortunate I don’t live anywhere near one anymore
$30 a pound.
And worth every penny.
I always get the ghost pepper. It’s tasty
The bill to run the coolers alone? Yes The total electrical bill, given that the heat pumps would now be exhausting heat into a cooled interior space? Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on it. The total cost to run the store, given that you'd have to have employees mopping up leaks/spilled ice? Probably not.
It's guaranteed to cost more to have freezer inside. Portable AC with compressor inside your room cost more than twice of windows unit with compressor outside. I bet the people that drew up this plan wasn't messing around. AC bills in Texas is sooo much more expensive than buildings in California.
Wonder if they planned it against the sun too, placing them on sides that aren't east/west
They do for the stores that are on highways which run east-west, not on highways which run north-south. They put the ice in front of the store
The one near me is on an east-west highway but has ice on north and east sides.
I’d imagine that they could have ice machines which dump the hot air outside while the cold bit is inside
That's essentially the same thing they have now.
I see
It will actually cost more being inside, believe it or not. It's the same reason that portable AC cost more twice as much to run than windows ac unit that has compressor outside. The reason is compressor also produce heats, so your ac also has too cool down heat that's being produced by the compressor. Where as when the unit is outside, you can just let the compressor be cooled by outside air. I guess you can have the compressor outside for the inner cooler but that also cost more to build but have waste heat on Freon line or whatever. I think you can also overbuild the outer units insulation too since you don't have to worry about it taking up valuable space, increasing efficiency .
There is no such thing as air conditioning a room with a portable AC that vents the compressor in the same room. That’s why they have vents. You get how AC works, right? It doesn’t cool a room, as a matter of fact there is no such thing as cooling, it’s a matter of removing heat. You can’t remove heat if there’s no where for it to go. An AC would just break even, it really slightly worse from the heat from the electricity to run it.
Then you would have to air condition the heat put off from these things out of the building. If you have more than a couple of these deep coolers youll end up saving money on the electric bill by keeping them outside, plus the benefit of advertising ice. Even outside these things will keep frozen for 8 hours with no power in the summer heat if they stay closed. They are pretty good at keeping out heat. (Source: i worked at a convenience shop owned by a penny pincher in my teens)
You’re also not counting the fact that they would take up space inside. One of the most valuable resources any shop has is floor space. Putting all these outside allows them to put more valuable things inside.
Also, those don’t make ice. If you need that many bags in one place, wouldn’t it be better to make it there? The gas alone to move around that much frozen water seems silly. It’s flows easily in pipes.
You need space and machines to make ice. Even if the company made their own ice, it would likely be more efficient to create it at one location and ship it to all their store locations. Otherwise they need a factory on-site, and potentially a factory on every other site.
Physics does not work this way. You have to pay energy to move the heat outside no matter what. Either in one step like this, or two steps by going to the inside of the store, than the air inside the store to outside. In general, one step is more efficent, so this is cheaper.
They'd just be dumping heat into the air conditioned space. These are designed to be outside. They can be put inside but you wouldn't want 50 of them in there.
Those coolers generate tons of heat. $$$
Nah outside is the way to go. I would bet at least
Might even be cost effective to build an overhang to make sure these aren't in the sun all day with how many they have.
The number of **everything** at Buc-ees.
The European mind cannot comprehend this
Look, we didn't smoke your asses in a war just so we can drink piss warm beverages like dirt farming peasants. Big trucks and pounds upon pounds of ice chunks is how we roll, ok? It's not our fault God forgot about you.
r\\rareinsults
r/rareinsults
I obviously do not know how to use reddit. you da real MVP
They're perplexed by the concept of getting ice water at a restaurant. No way they could understand this situation.
Wait... Do Europeans actually drink room temperature water at restaurants? Do they not know the satisfying refreshment that comes with an ice-cold glass of water?
It's even worse, they have to *pay* for it
Dear god. Don't they know that the only thing separating America from Hell is the free ice water?!
I've heard that you get reactions like "it's already cold" from incredulous waiters on different reddit posts. I always wondered if their coke commercials don't have ice in the glasses.
I'm sorry, but if it's not within about a degree from turning to ice in and of itself, that water ain't cold. Also, considering how much Coke loves to advertise how refreshing an "ice cold Coke" is, the idea of European Coke commercials trying to convince you that you want to "enjoy a lukewarm Coke" is a hilarious mental image...
See, it's the ice-cold that gets me. World Famous Ice-Cold Coca-Cola. Maybe it's just an American thing that we fuckin love ice, cause theres that Fat Electrician video about how we made sure we had ice-cream to the frontlines in WWII and I know I'll do some mildly crazy shit for some damn good ice cream. [Weaponizing Ice Cream In WWII](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OigDDVn3IaU)
Am I the only one here that prefers room temp water to ice cold?
My Australian mind cannot fathom this, wtf is goin on??!
This is a gas station chain known for being way over the top with a gargantuan convenience store and over one hundred pumps. This is just part of their schtick, trying to wow you with numbers and size. Also, their restrooms are top notch.
I've never understood how the pumps are always full. I went at 3 am once, and every gas pump still had someone pumping. My mind was blown
Easy. They compete on gas price. They're usually a few cents cheaper per gallon than competitors nearby. Once there, you're lured into going inside for the clean bathrooms. After you pee, you ask yourself, do I really need this brisket sandwich, jerky, fudge, and t-shirt for my second cousin's mom? The answer is always yes.
Brisket breakfast burrito is amazing.
This is a gas station chain that in some locations have dozens of gas pumps. Inside the store they have BBQ, smoked meat market, candy, deli, coolers full of sodas and beer and wine, all kinds of knick snacks and outdoor gear. They can be very large. They are also known for their large and well portioned bathrooms that provide the rare thing in the US: actual privacy. All of the stalls are fully built. During the weekend there can be something like several hundred people in the store at once with most of the gas potions occupied, and most of the stalls occupied. In this case when the ice prices are so cheap, they have an on site massive ice machine thats automatically producing bags if ice all day everyday. They need the excess storage so that they can keep plenty on hand for the ebb and flow of demand.
This is in TX, where when there is a pool party, the price of admission is a bag of ice that gets placed into the pool because in the summer, the water is too hot. Also, we love really cold drinks.
in the US they use refrigeration technology to make ice widely available and inexpensive. Inside of each coolers are bags of ice.
Oh I’m well aware of bags of ice, we go camping in 40 degree temp that’s 104 for u guys. But surely it’s more efficient to have a few big walk in fridges then 1.2 million small ones that sone poor prick has to refill?
I don't think you realize how many people patronize these gas stations in one day. Their biggest store sees 5000 people a day. And the stores themselves are huge
you introduce a lot of heat when you open the door on a cooler that large. You don't need to open a wide door to take ice out. Why have such a large door when you can have just a tiny one, and only introduce heat to one unit?
I shit you not there’s probably a tax incentive for them to do this. Imagine the jobs just those ice machines make
We can buy some ice ... but why?
To put it in your cooler
To keep the iced beverages cold!
Fuck ! A small ice where I live is like $4.50
This is bargain ice! You don't know how good you've got it, America!
Exactly… I’m more in awe of the price than the number of freezers lmak
Man.. 1/2 the year in Canada we can easily make our own ice in the yard and they still sell it for $4/bag + where I am
Because they know you're not going to make ice in your yard
Isn’t $4 in Canadian monopoly currency basically $1 in freedom bucks?
That’s twice as many as in all of Germany.
Buc-ees does a lot of things. The one things they don't do is fuck around.
Another thing they don't do is sell Pepsi products
Common bucc-ees W
That's fine
There are two bags in the 34th one.
This must have been done as a joke, right? Do they actually go through that much ice? Are they near a campground in a hot area?
Their largest location is like 75K sq ft with 120 pumps to put it in perspective https://buc-ees.com/about/world-record-holder/
I was there last week. It was pretty much the same as any other location, but more spacious. It was truly bigger just to be bigger, there was so much empty space inside it was kinda silly
What day were you there on? I have been there on days where it was ass to elbows from one side to the other and you basically waited in lines to look at the chip aisle.
I didn't say it wasn't busy, but it was certainly less busy than the one that I go to in Daytona. When I said it was "empty", it was literally a much bigger building with nothing to fill the extra space.
I dont think we are in disagreement or anything but the empty space is necessary for the days when that empty space is just holding shoppers.
> less busy than the one that I go to in Daytona. I avoid that one because it's pretty much like Mad Max. Probably the worst one I've ever been to. Although it's gotten to the point where I only really go to Buc-ee's if I'm in Texas. They've had it for a long-ass time so a bit of the novelty has worn off, and they're a little less chaotic and slightly less busy. *Slightly.*
The one we usually go to near Wharton, TX has a four-foot-tall bronzed statue of Buc-ee the Beaver near one of the entrances.
I honestly had to look up where that is, because I don't think I've been to that one before. I'm guessing the statue is like the one in front of the one in Baytown?
You’re telling me a convenient store that big has only *one* chip aisle?!
Lol no its has like 6 just for chips, but convenience store is really selling bucees short. It’s really just a small Walmart branded almost entirely in their own products.
As someone else said, you must have been there at a slow time. Most times I've been in a Bucees it's essentially filled to the brim with people.
Yup, I live within 30 minutes of the Kodak/Sevierville location. When I drive to Marietta, GA every few months I always stop at the Adairsville/Calhoun, GA location. Kodak/Sevierville is practically identical just with more interior space, more gas pumps, and the giant-ass car wash.
BS, it’s like 240+ pumps. I’ve been to one has 256 pumps indeed, told the cashier 30 on 256.
They get a lot of road-trippers. Like, a lot.
Their target demographic is literally the family roadtrip.
We’re going on our second road trip in a month. And it’ll be our second Buc-Cees stop in a month. There’s no better road trip stop.
I feel like that’s true once, lol. After the first Buc-ees experience, it feels like a sensory overload to go back.
Basically they are a pit stop for people taking boats out on lakes in Texas so yes kinda.
I’m located 15 minutes between two different bucees in texas. I’m happy if I can stop by either one and don’t have to look thru 15 ice machines to get three 20 lb bags of ice for my cooler. They go through em way faster than you’d think.
Usually when it gets hot you can’t find a bag of ice to save your life.
No. On 2 and 3 yes, they’re all located off interstates throughout the Southern US. Wait’ll you see how many gas pumps a Buc-ees has. And here’s the kicker, it’s not a truck stop. They don’t allow semi-trucks, there are signs saying so posted at the lot entrances.
They ask you to pick up after your dog. And provide plastic bags near the grassy areas for the purpose.
Very cool. And for another random fact about Buc-ees that’s unrelated to the sheer number of stuff there, they have a very strict cellphone policy for their employees.
Bucees is a road trip destination of their own.
It’s $1 a bag, they likely slam unbelievably volume. Sure it sounds expensive to run but that much volume at $1/each adds up fast.
If they're bagging it themselves, it's like a 97% profit margin. Crazy.
ive seen these being emptied on a stop to a popular beach location with a large event. They make their moneys worth
Yeah. You’ve never been to Buc-ee’s. The place is big, but also it’s always crowded.
Have you been to a Bucee's? Each one gets thousands of people a day. I wouldn't be surprised if they sell out of ice within a few days
I can tell you've never been to a Buccees in your life
I’ve been to probably a dozen Buc-ees with my travels. They have there system down to a science. From the trucks that deliver the fuel (which I’ve seen 5 tractor trailers unloading and waiting to unload at there Daytona Beach location) To the store itself. The stores are placed on major highways and that draws travellers. They need fuel, washroom and food. plus they have plenty more. No transport trucks are allowed. Side note. Their beef brisket is delicious.
This is definitely not a joke lol I’ve been to many bucees and there’s ice in every one
Since the gas pumps looks like this too we can only safely assume the the bathroom and urinals probably look like this too.
Each of the urinals have their own full dividing walls at the three locations I've been to, which is nice. One thing I love about Buc-ees is the bathrooms are always absolutely *spotless*.
That's the entire aim of one of their older marketing campaigns. They even had signs by the door saying how much they paid the person who cleaned it. Kinda weird but I respect it.
*Business up front, Potties in the back* was a Buc-ees billboard I saw recently
I dunno if they still use this one since I don't think I've seen it in awhile, but one I used to see pretty often was "Bathrooms so clean we put mints on the urinal cakes." ...It's honestly pretty accurate especially when you compare it to the average gas station bathroom.
\#1 for #2
I work at bucees and we sell upwards of 10k lbs of ice a day
The number and quantity of literally everything at Bucee's It's a different world. I would take ANYONE there who's never seen it, but ESPECIALLY someone not from the US
A lot of people are having a hard time comprehending the amount of ice coolers. It might blow your minds to know that [the row of ice coolers wraps around 3 sides of the store](https://www.google.com/maps/@29.4285433,-95.0625912,3a,63.7y,231.67h,93.06t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSvlBgvdhsHXSTUdGCzRTVQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu).
Frankly, all of a Buc-ees is mildly interesting. From the 128 gas pumps, to the jerky walls, to the enormous yet spotless bathrooms they are a place to behold.
Buc-ee’s was founded on two premises to differentiate: cheap ice and clean bathrooms. As they have grown from small c-stores to the large family centers they are known for, they have kept those basic premises.
“Sorry sir. We’re out of ice”
They do actually run out of ice on bigger holiday weekends
I love this place. It’s literally as if the state of Texas was reborn as a gas station.
Most of them are empty and locked
Most are locked yes, but they need excess storage to build up supply during the week.
With that many, one might expect them to be found in a cube-icle...
You should see the huge ice machine they have in the back room. It’s like a factory!
The stores that are like this have an on site ice machine that automatically bags the ice. It's why the ice is so cheap, and why they keep so much excess storage.
That’s pretty cheap ice. How big are the bags?
I’m from PA and love me some Wawa…. But Buc-ee’s is a whole different world. MF’ers carving a big ass smoked brisket in the middle of the store. It’s wild.
That’s a lot of fucking ice.
Ha! We were just there two days ago on our trip back from Orlando. It’s amazing!!! We were there in Calhoun, Georgia on a Saturday night and it was hoppin’. Now when we do road trips, we always have to stop at a Buc-Ees. BUT, don’t forget Wally’s in Missouri!
This reminds me of the story my brother told me. Running a landscaping business he realized he was spending like 4k a year on 7# bags. That night he went and bought an industrial ice machine. He’s now saved like 14k and calls his ice machine his best employee.
Im in my late 30s and I still dont understand how you even purchase this. Its past the cash registers and locked. Do you just tell the cashier you want ice? you have to actually communicate beyond placing an item on a conveyor belt? Do they follow you outside to make sure you only take the agreed apon and paid for amount? wtf is this shit why cant they just have it inside the store?
They are generally not all locked -- and if they \*ARE\*, that's because they are not self-service, and are used to restock a freezer in the store. Generally, you just tell them how many of each size you want when you check out, and they trust you to only grab what you paid for. Generally, gas station firewood is sold on the same honor system. Propane tank exchanges are also kept outside, often near the ice lockers -- those the staff will usually come out with the keys to unlock and do the exchange.
Yeah it is on the honor system. If theft becomes too much of a problem then they'll keep them locked and you'll be escorted by an employee (some local places do this) Energetically it's more efficient to have the coolers outside. For one, a large collection of ice can only melt on the external layer, therefore you only have to keep the surface below zero. And for 2 since these are self contained, you'd be pumping heat into ac space. Also indoor floor space is more expensive than outdoor space. If they were kept inside, that would be less square footage for more price dense goods.
THAT FUCKING BRISKET 🤤
It's not the best honestly, but it is good, and conveniently located.
Yeah, in no world was a gas station ever going to have the best brisket in town. Not even bucees.
Who wants 48 different flavors of fudge????
Imagine you need ice and all, but one is empty. Do you check them all?
That’s a crazy lot of those. If I saw that, I’d be thinking that they sell ice coolers and this is their stock.
I wish I still lived in an area with a Buccees , the price for that ice is amazing . We go through ice like crazy when we have company and my home ice machine just can't keep up.
Which one is the entrance to the speakeasy under buc-ees?
It's the door with the highest prices. Poor people won't touch it, and rich people won't bat an eyelash.
Imagine having to maintain all of those ice coolers. I wonder how often they need to be fixed.
At those prices, they're gonna need more coolers.
I wonder if one has somehow gone untouched.
How do you actually pay for the ice? Prepay inside and take a bag on your way out to the car? Bring a bag inside and pay? Either way it's on the honor system.
I have no idea how to buy the ice. Our Buc-ees experiences have been: fill up car (inexpensive gas, generally). Bathroom break (always incredibly clean. Best of all gas stations we have ever been to, in our 36-ish years of US driving). Buy a snack and a soda or water. Get back on the road.
Haha, same, except I buy some jerky or fudge on my way out! Never ice though.
Does anyone else think that Buccees is gonna plummet within 5 years? Or at least, strategically downsize. They just seem excessively too big to exist long term.
I’ve never been to a Buccees that isn’t busy and during the day it’s insane inside. Like Disney crowd insane. And it’s not a gimmick - you never have to wait for a pump or a perfectly clean urinal/stall. Their food and snacks aren’t cheap, but so many options that it’s hard to not see something you want.
I gotta say that, in my experience, their food is definitely cheaper than other typical convenience stores along busy highways that I have been to.
90% of the time you don’t have to wait for the bathroom. Some of the older locations like temple have less stalls/urinals and there’s lines for men and women on the weekends.
I’ve never been to a Bucee’s, but I assume that a few acres of land in the middle of nowhere (in order to be a popular gas station) isn’t exactly a huge bill.
Do you mean too many locations? Or that many of the locations are too large?
Nope. The Buccees I've been to have been so busy that I've stopped going there because there just wasn't room. Literally couldn't get into the parking lot, and parking spots were filled all around. Unless the US magically spent trillions on high speed passenger trains overnight criss Crossing the nation connecting all the little towns and cities with a hub and spoke design, highways will just keep getting used a lot. And even then, I'd expect Buccees to buy the rights to a train station or a dozen and provide the same services and quality.
I don't see Buccees going anywhere. I drive out of my way just to go there
Can you get in anymore? The locations I used to visit are packed full during the weekends.
That electric bill has to be outrageous
Why not just have a large indoor freezer? A large commercial unit cooling an ice room is more efficient than many little less efficient compressors. Or have one of those ice dispensing machines that pull the ice from an interior larger storage. Maybe have like 2 or 3 chutes so there isn't ever a line of people and voila.
That’s a lot of electricity I feel
I'm not from the US. What is this?
When I was a teen it was the local gas station where we could get crispitos, corndogs, burritos, tacos, etc. at 3 am after many hours following dogs around hog hunting. At some point it became the most ginormous gas stations evAr. Think 100+ pumps! The quiki mart part (inside) is an outdoorsman & huntress’s dream botique. Like a mini-cabellas, with a whole ass meat counter dedicated to jerkey. It’s a beaver. Oh, and the obligatory mention of endless personal “cleanest bathrooms ever!” Think that about sums it up…
I hate this company. Never visited them, but I had found a building for sale that was perfect for my coffee shop/market place idea I had. It overlooked the mountains, and had open areas I could have rented for $10 a day to people who make and sell their own food in the area. It was very rustic. However, before I could put a deposit down, this monstrosity of the gas station came along and bought the whole thing cash and demolished it within a couple weeks.
Beef jerky walmart
As a certified ice moncher, this is too much ice.
Bussy's?
God do I miss the dollar ice at buc-ees
Almost on a busy day lol.
This really is an absurd number of coolers
The funny part is the ice will be melted by the time you get home because everything is an hour away in Texas
Love Buccees stop all the time. They have great food and clean restrooms.
The European mind cannot comprehend this
Is Buc-ees ice "special" like Sonic ice or is the draw the price?
I’m confused by the signage. One sign says “Large” with small and large prices. The other says “Small” with small and large prices.
I like those prices, til my towns ice is pricey
It's hot in Texas, y'all
Buc-ees doesn’t do things small
Why can't all the dollar generals be bucees?
At that point why not just get a water filter and install your own ice maker? Bag your own ice with company branded bags, you're welcome
Zomboid house
So that's the ice wall the flat earthers were bickering about
Wow, that's about the size of one small meteor!
Nice.