[3] The chain was founded in 1982 in Clute next to Lake Jackson and began expansion with its first travel center in Luling south of Austin, Texas in 2003.

The company began expanding outside of Texas in 2018 with the opening of a location in Baldwin County, Alabama and since opened stores in Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Colorado, and Missouri with new locations planned for North Carolina, Mississippi, Ohio, Virginia, Louisiana, Arkansas, Arizona, Kansas, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma.

[13][14] In 1982, founder Arch "Beaver" Aplin was a partner in the opening of a store in Clute, Texas, the first to bear the name "Buc-ee's".

In September 2015, it was announced that at least part of Buc-ee's corporate operations would move to office space at Pearland Town Center.

[29] As of July 2024, Buc-ee's has 50 active locations across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Colorado, and Texas.

[31] All travel center locations include a bakery, brisket and fudge bar, snack aisle, soda, coffee, and an Icee station.

The chain carries its own clothing brand, ranging from t-shirts to hats, pants, plushies, swimwear, and blankets.

Stores also carry general kitchen goods: cast iron skillets, food containers, mugs, glassware, cookbooks, coolers, and thermoses among others.

[35] All Buc-ee's travel centers include 80 to 120 gas pumps, with fuel offerings ranging from unleaded (87, 89, 91, and 93 octane most commonly) to diesel.

[37] As of February 2023[update], there were operational Superchargers at more than half of the planned locations including in Alabama (Leeds, and Robertsdale); Florida (St. Augustine); South Carolina (Florence); Tennessee (Crossville); and Texas (Bastrop, Baytown, Ennis, Giddings, Katy, Madisonville, Melissa, New Braunfels, and Wharton).

[39] As of July 2024, Buc-ee's has car washes available at ten of their locations with seven in the state of Texas, one in Alabama, one in Tennessee, and one in Florida.

[41] In recent years, during the company's rapidly growing success, Buc-ee's has filed numerous lawsuits against other convenience store chains, most of them based in Texas, for trademark and trade dress infringement.

The case was settled out of court in December 2014; B&B Grocery Inc. agreed to stop using the "Frio Beaver" logo and mascot.

[43] In 2016, Buc-ee's sued "Choke Canyon BBQ", another Texas convenience store, for copyright infringement and trade dressing.

[46] In 2017, Buc-ee's again filed a lawsuit for breaking an agreement, this time against a Nebraska-based convenience store chain known as "Bucky's".