Buc-ee’s CEO Arch "Beaver" Aplin III's vow to focus the fast food chain’s expansion on "conservative, business-friendly states" is already in the company’s sights, according to a new map of upcoming locations. A map of 24 planned Buc-ee's locations tracked by Roadtrip Beaver shows that 22 are in states that voted Republican in the 2024 presidential election, while only two are in Virginia, a state that was Democratic in the last election. The finding comes weeks after Aplin used the opening of Buc-ee's first Arkansas location to praise conservative-led states and suggest the company would be less inclined to expand in places where its developments are not welcomed.
The map shows proposed and under-construction Buc-ee's sites stretching from Idaho and Utah to Florida and South Carolina. Projects are in varying stages, ranging from early planning to active construction. Among the locations currently being tracked are planned stores in Meridian, Idaho; Gretna, Nebraska; Springville, Utah; Kansas City, Kansas; Greenwood and Whitestown, Indiana; Ruston and Lafayette, Louisiana; Murfreesboro and Gallaway, Tennessee; and multiple locations in Florida.
Only two planned sites, Stafford and New Kent in Virginia, are located in a state Kamala Harris carried in 2024. The remaining 22 projects are in states won by Trump. That geographic distribution broadly reflects comments Aplin made during the opening of the company's Benton, Arkansas, location.
"We have a lot of opportunities. We're building in a lot of places, but when you find a conservative, business-friendly state with a phenomenal workforce, it makes a difference," Aplin said. He added: "Life's too short to try to build in places that people don't appreciate what you're bringing versus a place like this, where people do appreciate what you're building." Newsweek has reached out to Buc-ee's for comment.
Aplin's remarks arrived as Buc-ee's has faced mounting scrutiny over a series of trademark disputes involving smaller businesses. The company has attracted criticism for lawsuits targeting businesses with logos it argues are too similar to its trademarked beaver mascot. The most prominent recent dispute involves Beaver's Mini Mart in Beavercreek, Ohio.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called the lawsuit "ridiculous" and urged the company to drop it. The disputes have also drawn attention from comedian John Oliver, who criticized Buc-ee's trademark enforcement on HBO's Last Week Tonight and launched satirical merchandise referencing the company's legal battles. Supporters of the company argue Buc-ee's has become an economic success story because it partners with communities that actively support large-scale commercial development.
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