A longtime Texas staple is coming to South Louisiana. Buc-ee’s will be opening a store along I-10 in Lafayette sometime in early 2026. Mandi Mitchell, the president and CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, says this means dozens of new jobs for the region.
“Buc-ee’s is going to create AT LEAST 150 jobs, and their starting wage for their team members will be $17 an hour,” Mitchell said.
People normally spend between 30 and 60 minutes inside a Buc-ee’s store. Along with uniquely branded items, Buc-ee’s is widely known for their clean bathrooms. The stores are generally huge in size, and Mitchell says this one will be no different.
“We’re looking at becoming one of their largest stores at 74,000 square feet, and that they are going to provide about 120 fuel pumps,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell says having a Buc-ee’s in Lafayette is a golden opportunity to market the city to people passing through, inviting them to experience everything the city has to offer.
“About 80% of the travelers that stop in are not from the local area, so it’s an opportunity to get new people interested in Lafayette and hopefully, one day, they’ll come back and stay for a longer period of time,” Mitchell said.
Construction is slated to get underway in the first quarter of 2025 and the store will be fully operational by the second quarter of 2026.
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