KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Weeks after announcing the first Buc-ee’s location in Tennessee, company officials announced the largest Buc-ee’s Family Travel Center they have ever built is coming to the state.
The first details for the development that would include the Buc-ee’s location were announced Tuesday by Kituwah, LLC, a company owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. A 74,000-square-foot flagship Buc-ee’s Family Travel Center, complete with 120 fueling positions, EV charging stations and a car wash over 250 feet long, will anchor what is to be a 200-acre development planned for Exit 407 in Sevierville, Tennessee.
According to the Buc-ee’s website, the store would surpass the Buc-ee’s Family Travel Center in New Braunfels, Texas, as the world’s largest convenience store.
The project has been named “The 407: Gateway to Adventure.” A release from Kituwah, LLC and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians states they are exploring additional development possibilities such as a world-class golf attraction, a go-cart facility and a distillery experience.
Buc-ee’s, a chain of convenience stores and gas stations, was founded in Texas in 1982. There are currently 38 stores in Texas, and the company is continuing its expansion throughout the Southeast with newly opened stores in Alabama, Georgia and Florida, and is building stores in South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee.
“It is not a coincidence that we chose The 407 as our first big store location outside of Texas,” said Stan Beard, director of real estate for Buc-ee’s. “We will be the proverbial ‘welcome sign’ at the front door of the exceptional travel experience that the Smoky Mountains, Sevierville, and Sevier County has to offer. You won’t forget your first visit to Buc-ee’s and it won’t be your last! We are thrilled to share our over the top customer experience and be a pivotal part of the Kituwah and EBCI vision for the Gateway to Adventure.”
According to Matthew Cross, founding partner and CEO of OE Experiences, whose company is working with Kituwah, LLC on the new location, the project has already drawn interest from developers and tenants around the world.
“The 407: Gateway to Adventure is expected to draw 6.7 million visitors in its first full year of operation when Phase I is complete,” Cross said. “The space we have allows us to bring entirely new concepts to market and allows many existing local operators the chance to go big with some mind-blowing new ideas. This is the first of several exciting announcements we will be making in coming months.”
