Louisiana · Location Watch
Buc-ee’s Ruston, Louisiana: Louisiana’s First Buc-ee’s, Finally Under Construction
By Buc-ee’s Menu Travel Team | Fact-Checked & Updated: August 2026
Is Buc-ee’s open in Ruston, Louisiana?
Buc-ee’s Ruston is currently under construction off I-20 at Tarbutton Road and is projected to open in mid-2027. Following its October 2025 groundbreaking, work is underway on the 74,000-square-foot facility, which will feature 120 gas pumps, 700 parking spots, and a full Texas BBQ center.
Here is where the Ruston project currently stands, why state permitting delayed it, and what to expect when it opens.
opening, subject to construction
progress
Is Buc-ee’s Open in Louisiana Yet?
Not yet, but Ruston is genuinely close now — dirt work began in late September 2025, and the ceremonial groundbreaking followed on October 24, 2025, with Governor Jeff Landry and Buc-ee’s CEO Arch “Beaver” Aplin III both in attendance. This will be Louisiana’s very first Buc-ee’s, sitting just off I-20 at the Tarbutton Road exchange, directly across from Ruston Junior High School.
Strategic Location for College Campuses & Game Days:
Positioned directly off Interstate 20 at Tarbutton Road, the Ruston location sits in the heart of a major North Louisiana college hub. The travel center is located less than 3 miles from Louisiana Tech University and just 10 minutes east of Grambling State University. City officials expect the 74,000-square-foot store to become a huge game-day gathering spot for students, alumni, and traveling sports fans along the I-20 corridor.
The City of Ruston’s own project page currently lists a projected opening date of mid-2027, explicitly noting that’s “subject to construction progress.” An earlier estimate from late 2025 pointed to April 2027. Either way, once Buc-ee’s construction crews are in full swing, the build itself typically takes 12 to 15 months — and that clock only really started running in late 2025.
Pro Tip : Ruston’s mayor has been candid that permitting, not construction, was the slow part here — nearly two years of state and federal sign-offs before a shovel could hit the ground. Now that it’s actually building, the timeline is far more reliable than it was in 2024 or 2025.
Why It Took So Long to Get Here
Ruston’s Buc-ee’s has one of the longer backstories of any location in the current pipeline. Louisiana almost got a Buc-ee’s a decade earlier: the company floated tentative plans for a Baton Rouge location back in 2016, then scrapped them in 2017. Ruston’s own project traces back to 2022, when the City Council, Lincoln Parish School Board, and Lincoln Parish Police Jury approved a tax incentive package to bring Buc-ee’s to town, with hopes of a 2024 groundbreaking and a 2025 opening.
What actually slowed things down was the interstate interchange. Buc-ee’s needed a redesigned I-20 interchange and service road able to handle the traffic it brings — Mayor Ronny Walker has estimated up to 15,000 vehicles a day. Finalizing that design required sign-off from the city, the state, and the Federal Highway Administration, a process that dragged on for roughly two years before all three sides agreed on a plan in mid-2025. A severe winter storm in early 2025 added further delay to early site work. The road and interchange overhaul is estimated at around $25 million, partly funded through Ruston’s Tax Incremental District, with the city separately investing about $8 million directly into supporting infrastructure like the East Kentucky Avenue corridor.
The Road to Groundbreaking
2016–2017
Buc-ee’s floats an earlier, unrelated plan for a Baton Rouge store, then abandons it.
2022
Ruston’s City Council, school board, and police jury approve a tax incentive package, setting the Ruston project in motion.
2023–2024
Project confirmed publicly; original hopes point to a 2024 groundbreaking and 2025 opening, pending state interchange approval.
Early 2025
A major winter storm and continued interchange permitting push the target to mid-2026, then early 2027.
Mid-2025
City, state, and federal officials finally sign a memorandum of understanding on the I-20 interchange design.
Sept.–Oct. 2025
Dirt work begins on site; official ceremonial groundbreaking held October 24, with Gov. Jeff Landry and CEO Arch Aplin attending.
Targeted: Mid-2027
Current city-confirmed projection, roughly 12 to 15 months of active construction from the late-2025 start.
A Personal Homecoming for Buc-ee’s Founder
There’s a genuine hometown angle to this one. CEO Arch “Beaver” Aplin III has said his family’s roots are in Louisiana — he spent childhood summers at his grandfather’s general mercantile store in Harrisonburg, Louisiana, an experience he’s credited with sparking his interest in retail in the first place. At the Ruston groundbreaking, Aplin called the state’s first store a homecoming and said it meant a great deal to open somewhere with such personal history for his family.
What the Finished Store Will Include
The Ruston location will be a full 74,000-square-foot Buc-ee’s Super Center — by some measures larger than the well-known Terrell, Texas location — with 120 fuel pumps and roughly 700 parking spaces. City officials expect it to draw close to 5 million visitors a year and create 250 to 300 new jobs, with starting pay between $17 and $18 an hour plus 401(k) plans and health insurance.
Fuel
120 gas pumps
Parking
~700 spaces
Jobs
250–300 full-time positions
Pay
$17–$18/hr, plus 401(k) & health insurance
Traffic Estimate
Up to 15,000 vehicles/day
Site
84 acres off I-20 at Tarbutton Rd
EV Charging
Tesla Superchargers & Universal Fast Chargers
Car Wash
Full-Service Automated Car Wash
Coming Soon: Louisiana’s second Buc-ee’s, planned for Lafayette off I-10 near Louisiana Avenue, has faced its own weather and design delays and is now targeting 2028.
What Food & Snacks Will Be at Buc-ee’s Ruston?
Although the store is under construction, the Ruston location will feature Buc-ee’s full signature food court and Texas BBQ station. Visitors can expect:
- Texas-Style BBQ Brisket: Chopped and sliced brisket sandwiches pulled fresh at the central Texas round-up counter.
- Fresh Homemade Fudge & Kolaches: Over 20 varieties of fudge made daily, alongside warm sausage & cheese kolaches.
- Beaver Nuggets & Jerky Wall: The famous sweet corn puffs and a massive wall of over 12 artisanal beef jerky flavors.
- Full Calorie & Price Guide: Expect standard Buc-ee’s pricing across all hot food items.
Where’s the Nearest Open Buc-ee’s Right Now?
There’s no open Buc-ee’s in Louisiana yet. For now, the closest operating location for most Louisiana travelers is the Harrison County, Mississippi store near Biloxi (opened June 2025) — a popular stop for anyone already headed toward the Mississippi Gulf Coast or Gulf Shores, Alabama.
⚠️ Important Rules for Drivers: Like all Buc-ee’s locations, 18-wheeler semi-trucks are strictly prohibited at the Ruston location. The facility is designed exclusively for passenger cars, SUVs, light trucks, and RVs.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Bottom Line
Ruston spent years stuck in permitting limbo, but that phase is over — dirt is moving, the interchange design is settled, and Buc-ee’s own founder showed up personally to break ground. Mid-2027 is the number to watch, and unlike the project’s earlier estimates, this one is backed by an actual construction timeline instead of a hopeful guess.