Latest Update on Buc-ee’s Coming to Western Kentucky

It's been about two years since we first learned about the mega-convenience store, Buc-ees, coming to Western Kentucky. Here's the latest on the store in Smiths Grove.

The Texas-based convenience store chain, known for the abundance of gas pumps, clean bathrooms, and the unbelievable amount of things you can purchase inside announced its second location in Kentucky back in 2021. Buc-ee's will be coming to Smiths Grove, just north of Bowling Green along Interstate 65, but there hasn't been much news about its progress since the news first broke.

Buc-ee's is huge, and when I say "huge", I mean HUGE. For example, the Smiths Grove, Kentucky location will be a 54,000 sqft building and 116 fueling stations. Yes, 116 gas pumps at one location! That's a lot, but that's not even the biggest. The largest Buc-ee's will be opening this June in Sevier County, Tennessee, according to WATE. The Tennessee location will is expected to be 74,000 square feet, giving it the title of the world’s largest convenience store. The location is also expected to feature 120 gas pumps and a 250-foot-long car wash.

Buc-ee's has locations in other states like Texas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. Kentucky is home to another location in Richmond. Hopefully, they will continue to move north and find themselves along I-69 in Evansville one day.

So, what's the deal with the Smiths Grove Buc-ee's?

The Smiths Grove Buc-ee's location has been in a state of limbo, it seems, since the announcement about two years ago. The plan is for them to be breaking ground site in the southeast corner of the exit 38 interchanges, across I-65 from the McDonald’s restaurant, according to Bowling Green Daily News.

Rumors have been running rampant about the delay of the Smiths Grove Buc-ee's location. According to WBKO:

WBKO says that one of the immediate issues causing the delay with the selected Smiths Grove location was that the property sat right outside the city limits.

As of this writing, the groundbreaking ceremony for Buc-ees of Smiths Grove is tentatively scheduled for June 5th. So, that means that we still have a while to wait until we all can enjoy the closest Buc-ee's to the Evansville, Indiana area. There's currently no timeline for completion...hopefully, it's sooner rather than later.