Buc-ee’s fans in Wisconsin will have to wait a little longer for their first taste of the famous Texas travel stop.
Construction appears to have started this week at the future Oak Creek location, located about 15 miles south of Milwaukee. However, the opening date has been pushed back from early 2027 to early 2028, with no official reason given for the delay.
In a July 1 news release, Oak Creek City Administrator Andrew Vickers announced that groundwork at the site would begin in mid-July and said Buc-ee’s was targeting an “early 2028 public opening,” while noting the project could potentially move faster.
The massive convenience store and gas station is expected to become Buc-ee’s northernmost location and the company’s first in Wisconsin. When asked by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel why the timeline had shifted, Vickers referred questions to Buc-ee’s, and the outlet reported that the company’s director of real estate development, Stan Beard, did not respond to a request for comment.
“We would defer to Stan Beard for additional comments, but what he was quoted saying was also told to the city: they are growing and opening stores and value having experienced management in place when opening a new store,” Vickers told the outlet. “So, they are balancing growth.”
The Independent has contacted Buc-ee’s and Beard for comment.
Officials also pointed to a major sewer expansion project in the area as a factor in the construction timeline. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is working on a mile-long sewer extension along 27th Street that will provide sanitary sewer service to parts of southern Milwaukee County and northern Racine County.
Vickers told the Journal Sentinel that the sewer project “really drives this construction timeline” and that the delayed Buc-ee’s schedule allows the two projects to better align.
The Oak Creek Buc-ee’s is expected to be one of the company’s largest locations, featuring a 73,370-square-foot store, 120 fuel pumps and 20 electric vehicle charging stations. The development is expected to create about 175 full-time jobs across three shifts, with Buc-ee’s previously estimating wages starting between $18 and $20 per hour.
The project has faced a series of hurdles since it was announced. Buc-ee’s originally hoped to open around Thanksgiving 2027, after the company and the city initially announced plans for an early 2027 debut.
Before construction could begin, the project went through an extended approval process. Oak Creek officials expected approvals to be completed by June 2025, but a traffic impact analysis conducted by Buc-ee’s and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation delayed final approvals until September 2025, the Journal Sentinel reports.
The development also faced legal pushback from nearby residents. In April 2025, a group called Oak Creek Neighbors United sued the city, claiming the project involved illegal spot zoning. A judge later dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice, according to the outlet.
The delay in Wisconsin comes as Buc-ee’s continues its rapid nationwide expansion, with plans to open locations in at least 17 states in the coming years, The Sun reports. It currently operates 56 locations across 13 states, according to Inc.
The chain has become a destination in its own right, drawing travelers with its massive stores, famously clean restrooms and branded Buc-ee’s merchandise alongside its cult-favorite snacks like Beaver Nuggets.
