Ohio Has a Second Buc-ee’s on the Way

For years, Ohioans heard tales of Buc-ee’s and with its dozens of gas pumps, wall of jerky and merchandise emblazoned with the chain’s adorable cartoon beaver mascot. But our collective fever for the road-trip oasis hit another gear in 2024, when Huber Heights broke ground on a location that — despite a delay — is now set to open in April 2026.

Then, on March 9, 2026, Mayor Jodie Perry of Mansfield announced on Facebook that a petition for annexation had been filed for the development of a Buc-ee’s travel center at the state Route 39 and Interstate 71 interchange. Although Perry said in her post the deal had been working in the background for months, this step made Buc-ee’s intentions public.

“High paying jobs, revenues, and brisket … what’s not to love?” Perry wrote in her March 9, 2026 post.

Explaining the nuts and bolts of the arrangement a bit, Perry noted that the Type 2 annexation allows the townships being annexed to keep their revenues, the city to get income tax and water/sewer revenues and the county to get sales tax revenues.

“And as consumers we get the Wall of Jerky, pulled pork, and the legendary spice section,” Perry noted.

It’s still early, and no specific timeline for Buc-ee’s opening in Richland County is yet available. The Huber Heights location, which will be among the chain’s largest at 74,000 square feet, held a hiring event in February 2026. The Texas-based company’s first location in Ohio is set to open at 8000 St. Rte. 235 in Huber Heights on April 6, 2026.

For more information about Buc-ee’s, visit buc-ees.com. 

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