Buc-ee’s Breaks Ground on $82 Million Lafayette Travel Center

Buc-ee’s founder and CEO Arch “Beaver” Aplin joined Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and local officials to break ground on the company’s long-awaited Lafayette travel center near Interstate 10 and Louisiana Avenue. The roughly $82 million project is planned for a 42-acre site and will include a store larger than 74,000 square feet, about 120 fuel pumps and nearly 700 parking spaces; it is expected to open in February 2028. The effort began more than a decade ago but stalled after the 2016 floods and was revived in 2022, with local and state agencies coordinating infrastructure work and incentives to advance the development. Officials expect the center to bring jobs and economic activity, while Buc-ee’s plans to include Louisiana favorites such as boudin alongside its signature products.