Buc-ee’s officially breaks ground on company’s 4th location in Georgia

MONROE COUNTY, Ga. — Buc-ee’s broke ground Tuesday morning on a new travel center in Monroe County, bringing with it more than 200 full-time jobs, a starting wage of $18 an hour and one of the largest store footprints in the company’s history.

The ceremony was held at 1080 Rumble Road in Forsyth, just off Exit 181 on Interstate 75. Company officials, Monroe County commissioners and development authority members gathered at the site, which until recently was wooded land off the interstate.

The Monroe County location will span 74,000 square feet — larger than the existing Buc-ee’s in Warner Robins, which sits roughly 30 miles south on I-75 and measures around 53,000 square feet. The Monroe County store will also offer 100 fueling positions.

Joyce White, president of the Development Authority of Monroe County, said the new store is partly designed to relieve congestion at the Warner Robins location.

“It’s so packed, and Buc-ee’s cares about the experience that an individual has that comes into their store,” White said. “They don’t want it to be crowded. They don’t want anybody to get hurt by bumping into another — so this is to alleviate some of the overflow in Warner Robins as well.”

Beyond the size, White said the jobs themselves are what stand out for a county where many residents currently commute out to work.

“It’s a huge impact for Monroe County because so many people drop out of Monroe County,” she said. “They live here, but they drive out to work. This is going to give people the opportunity to live and work in the same place.”

In addition to the $18 an hour starting wage, Buc-ee’s is offering full benefits, a 6% matching 401k plan and three weeks of paid vacation to employees at the new location.

Buc-ee’s founder Arch Aplin said Interstate 75 was central to the company’s decision to build in Monroe County. He said the store is positioned to pull travelers off the highway and funnel spending directly into the local economy.

“We’ll stop the traveling public on Interstate 75,” Aplin said. “We’ll have them stop here in Monroe County and spend their dollars here in this county — and so that’s a big deal.”

Aplin added that the store could create closer to 250 jobs and that construction typically takes 14 to 16 months, putting an expected opening around spring 2027.

The Monroe County Commission first approved zoning variances and a special use permit for the project in December 2024. Because the store exceeds the county’s standard 45,000-square-foot limit, commissioners granted a special use permit. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division approved a stream buffer variance for the site in July 2025.

The county has also required road improvements near the site before Buc-ee’s can receive a certificate of occupancy.

The Monroe County location will be Buc-ee’s fourth store in Georgia and part of a broader national expansion. The company, founded in Texas in 1982, now operates 54 stores across the country.