Growing Goodyear
Growing Goodyear
Going Bonkers for Buc-ee's
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Buc-ee's is coming to Goodyear! So what can you expect when it opens its first ever location in Arizona? From in store smoked beef brisket to the mind-boggling selection of products, learn all about what makes Buc-ee's so popular and why it has such a devoted fan base.
Coming up on this episode of Growing Goodyear.
Woman 1:Are we still in a gas station?
Woman 2:It's like Target. You don't actually know how much you want to buy until you get in there.
Man 1:I mean, usually go to a convenience store. You don't have great expectations. This. This is legit.
Child:I love Buc-ee's!
Host Tammy Vo:Hey, everyone, welcome to the Growing Goodyear podcast. I'm Tammy Vo with the city of Goodyear.
Host Jordan Byrd:And I'm Jordan Byrd.
Host Tammy Vo:Okay Jordan, I only have one word to say, drumroll. Buc-ee's! Enough said.
Host Jordan Byrd:I think we need some, we need to have some big fanfare, fireworks, confetti. That's what should be popping right now because that has been the reaction to not only our residents here in Goodyear, but Arizona, the rest of the Southwest, about the news that Buc-ee's is coming to Goodyear.
Host Tammy Vo:This has been such a huge announcement not just for Goodyear, not just for the West Valley, but really our region of the country as we are going to be the very first location for a Buc-ee's store west of Colorado, a lot of the locations have been in Texas where it originated down through the southeastern United States. But this announcement of Buc-ee's coming to Goodyear has really piqued a lot of interest. And in this podcast, we are going to find out why.
Unknown:It's been a bit of an experience learning about Buc-ee's, for me personally, because I feel like you know I'm born and raised in Arizona, never really ventured much into the heart of Texas or the southeast. So, to me, I was like, What's Buc-ee's? Okay, and then to see the phenomenon, I mean, and I think that's an accurate word to use for Buc-ee's, sometimes it gets overused, but it really is a phenomenon and it has a passionate, dedicated fan base that I think we are going to get a taste of here pretty soon in
Host Tammy Vo:Yes, Buc-ee's has set the internet on fire, Goodyear. certainly in the West Valley. Celebrity sightings even that have made the news lately. So there's a lot we're gonna get into in this podcast in terms of what is Buc-ee's, why is it so popular, but also a lot of the details on the burning questions that we've had from residents as to you know, when is it coming and what can we expect at the local buches? We'll have that for you in this podcast.
Close:But to start us off on this episode of the Growing Goodyear podcast. Let's hear a little bit, a sampling of some reaction from these patrons, fans, fanatics, if you will, as they visit Buc-ee's locations across the country.
Montage 1:Today we're at the largest convenience store in the world. And it's our first time trying out Buc-ee's. Let's go find out what all the hype is about.
Montage 2:They say this place is the coolest gas station ever.
Montage 3:Look how many gas pumps there are on both sides. It is insane. This is Buc-ee's.
Montage 4:Wow, this place is beyond massive.
Montage 1:Everything from candy to trail mix to nuts. The amount of candy here is ridiculous.
Montage 2:Mini gummy butterflies. You gotta get the butterflies.
Montage 4:I mean just look at this. It's a whole section of nothing but beef jerky. This whole wall is nothing but beef jerky. They must have over 20 Different jerky flavors.
Montage 3:This is the biggest piece of beef jerky I've ever seen.
Montage 1:That might be one of the coolest things I've seen.
Montage 4:The sliced brisket is just calling my name. So let's grab one of those.
Buc-ee's employee:I got fresh chopped brisket on the board, fresh chopped brisket on the board.
Montage 4:BBQ pork. It's got sauce on it already. Oh that looks so, so good.
Montage 1:They have their own barbecue seasoning and barbecue sauce as you would expect, right?
Montage 2:Are we still in a gas station?
Montage 3:I'm genuinely overwhelmed.
Montage 4:And if you're wondering I can personally vouch the bathrooms here are extremely clean.
Montage 2:This place literally has everything.
Montage 1:Camping gear, fishing stuff, backpacks, little bit of everything. It seems. Everything.
Montage 3:Spicy pickled eggs.
Montage 4:This amount of fudge that they have here really just drew me in. They've got so many different kinds here, strawberry and m&m and peanut butter.
Montage 2:Look at this Texas BLT. Oh, look at that turkey melt.
Montage 1:They have a signature scent candle and they also have beaver nugget candles.
Montage 3:Of all the animals, the best nuggets come from beavers.
Montage 4:Let us grab a bag of these nuts definitely gonna go for these cinnamon glaze almonds, yum.
Montage 2:Blankets, stuffed animals, clothes for your dogs.
Montage 1:Bikinis and one piece.
Montage 3:What was this thing called? It's a kolache, all three food groups. Cheese, sausage and bread.
Montage 4:This place is blowing my mind.
Montage 2:Wow.
Montage 1:It's like Target. You don't actually know how much you want to buy until you get in there.
Montage 4:Buc-ee's, you've done a good job.
Montage 1:The selection, the variety itself, the clean bathrooms. Yeah, well worth it.
Host Jordan Byrd:So Tammy, as you can hear from those various audio clips, this is something that is worldwide now. I mean, it's not just confined to Texas or these locations where Buc-ee's is, it really seems to be this entity that has its tentacles all over the country all over the world for fans that love Buc-ee's.
Host Tammy Vo:Absolutely. And when we announced here in Goodyear, not only did the internet go crazy, but so did our local news media and we couldn't help but to notice one of our local reporters, Steven Sarabia from AZ Family, he is not only from Texas, but you could probably say he's one of our biggest local Buc-ee's super fans.
Close:And that's a competition in of itself to be the highest Buc-ee's fan. So here's our interview now with Arizona Family reporter Steven Sarabia. Steven, thank you so much for joining us here on the Growing Goodyear podcast. And the reason we brought you on is because you were from Texas, you are is it fair to say a devotee of Buc-ee's?
Steven Sarabia:I would say at first growing up in Texas. I was I was kind of feeling Buc-ee's, what is this? Yeah, it's just a gas station. But after going on many road trips, and actually experiencing it, I'd say yeah, you know, I see the appeal, and why people sort of tend to go to it and enjoy it.
Host Tammy Vo:So I imagine when we heard of Buc-ee's coming to not only the Valley, but Goodyear, I mean, were you like the first to say hey, I this is my story. I gotta cover this. I'm essentially the Buc-ee's expert here, right? Okay, so what is it? Like? What is the big deal about Buc-ee's?
Steven Sarabia:I pitched the story. I was like, Hey, I've been to Buc-ee's many times. I know, I know exactly what to tell people. And then there was another reporter from Texas. She I think it's because there's sort of like an identity to it, also wanted to do it. So it's sort of like who gets to do the story, you know, and then I ended up doing it just a lot of fun. The anchors were asking me questions, because you know, one you know, you got the beaver. And yes, there's a gas station. of them had never heard of Buc-ee's. And so yeah, it's there's a lot of questions, because on the, I guess, on the surface, people are like, Oh, is it just a gas station? Sure. And And they're usually known for having tons of pumps. So you it's a little bit more than that. don't really have to wait in line. But really, it's what's inside, what really pulls people in. And it's for many different reasons. It's sort of like the one stop shop if you're going on a road trip. And the big highlight aside from the food, they have fresh barbecue inside, they have a whole barbecue station, they have a jerky station, and they have a bunch of snacks as well. So anything you would need on a car ride. And on top of that, they also sell a bunch of other things. I've been to ones that sold furniture, some camping, we've made some that just have like pool stuff. So it's got a lot of stuff. But really, I think the big sort of thing about it is you know, people don't usually like going to the restroom at gas stations. That's sort of...
Host Tammy Vo:Totally, yeah, me too. Or if you select which one you're gonna go to specifically.
Steven Sarabia:Yeah, got to scope it out. You're like, oh, I can wait till I get home. I know they specialize in like cleaning their bathrooms. It's like their thing.
Host Tammy Vo:Yea, we've heard about this. I mean, of all things to know, the restroom of all things in an establishment.
Steven Sarabia:I was hesitant, you know, the first Buc-ee's I actually went to growing up in Texas, it was actually I was in college by the time I went. And it was on a long road trip. They have stalls, but they're like separate rooms. So you're kind of away from everyone else. And then they have a dedicated cleaning crew that as soon as you're done, they just sort of go in and clean it. So hygiene, sort of like a big thing I've noticed at all the Buc-ee's I've been to.
Host Jordan Byrd:those people where up until like eight months ago, I had never heard of Buc-ee's. I was like, What is this place? And now that I'm trying to explain it to other uninitiated, it's like, well, it's a gas station, but that's not doing it full justice. And then you can't really call it a truckstop because it's my understanding that semi trucks are not allowed on property. So it really is this kind of unique unicorn of a business. So I mean, for you who has experienced Buc-ee's, how would you describe it and maybe just a sentence or two.
Steven Sarabia:It's like a gas station meets a Walmart meets a restaurant as well, because they do have the food they got the barbecue. Yeah, it's it's tough to describe, because it is sort of its own thing. And as you mentioned, 18 wheelers, they can't go there. It's really for just the everyday driver. Whether you want to pick up stuff on your way home, or you're heading out to California. I see a lot of people using that on their road trips like to Yuma.
Host Jordan Byrd:So let's talk about the food because there's a lot of different food items that Buc-ee's offers that have such a fan base for all of them. The thing that strikes it, to me the most is the fresh food, right? I mean, they're making their own barbecue, they're making their own fudge, they have their jerky in store. So what is it about the food aspect of Buc-ee's that has attracted you in the past?
Steven Sarabia:I just think it's the decent barbecue that you can get quickly to go. I mean yeah, it's probably not a place you're gonna you know, take your family and have dinner inside the Buc-ee's but it's like you just got off work. Wow, just get like a brisket sandwich real quick. I also like the snack options because as you mentioned the jerky. I got tons of different types of jerky and some of the ones I've been to even have bakeries. So you can even get like, they have like kolaches and stuff like that. So that's like an option, quick food that's fresh.
Host Tammy Vo:And of course, we came across some of your reporting, when the Buc-ee's announcement happened. We were really listening to like how much you knew about Buc-ee's. And we were kind of surprised. And we're like, wow, he's pretty passionate about it. Can you tell us more about like, when you when you cover this story, and you know, you announced the Buc-ee's was coming to Goodyear? What was some of the reaction that you guys got? Either from viewers or online? And did it surprise you?
Steven Sarabia:Well, I would say overwhelmingly, people were excited for, the people that knew Buc-ee's were excited. But there were people who were like, What is this? Why should I be excited about another gas station or something like that? So it was interesting to see that that contrast. Where there were people are like, Yes, finally Buc-ee's, which is sort of spread throughout a lot of the country, but hasn't really made its way here yet. It's finally making its way here. And then other people are like, so what? Why should I care sort of thing. So it was kind of interesting to see those comments and, and then going through the comments of people responding to them, like, this is why you should care. You know, it's got the barbecue, it's got, it's got the snacks, it's got all that so.
Host Tammy Vo:So when Buc-ee's is finally does open in Goodyear, which we are anticipating, hopefully sometime in 2025, we don't know the month yet, but what do you think the reaction will be like for people who have not been there before when they walk away from that Buc-ee's? What are they going to say?
Steven Sarabia:They're gonna be like, Who is this beaver? Yeah, I imagine when it does open up, it's probably going to be very packed from what we've seen on our social media and posting tons of people who aren't even from the Valley. Maybe they're up north in Sedona, and Flagstaff, they're excited for it.
Host Jordan Byrd:I've seen people in Las Vegas hyping it up like, oh, there's only four and a half hour drive. Yeah. Wow.
Steven Sarabia:That's another thing in an area where there are Buc-ee's, they they're known for putting up billboards, saying, hey, the nearest Buc-ee's is 400 miles away, you can hold it. They have a sense of humor. I think that's another thing too. It is. They have a sense of humor with their company, and their brand, you know, the little beaver. And I think that sort of resonates with people because you know, people like fun stuff.
Host Jordan Byrd:I mean, it really is just been amazing to me, once the Buc-ee's has been announced here in Goodyear to see the overflowing excitement from people. I mean, as I mentioned, Las Vegas, you mentioned people up north there, it really seems to be almost an economic driver, which is kind of unusual for it to be a gas station convenience store that people are willing to travel up to half a day's drive just to attend this place.
Host Tammy Vo:And I'll even add Jordan, that in terms of our announcement online, it is been the highest interest announcement.
Host Jordan Byrd:Oh, yeah.
Host Tammy Vo:Online for us this year, or in quite some time.
Host Jordan Byrd:And not just the highest, the highest by what times 10? I mean, it's been out of control.
Host Tammy Vo:Yes, absolutely. So I mean, there's something there, I guess is what we're getting to of course, Jordan, I don't know what that is yet, because we still haven't been to a Buc-ee's. But is that something that you also experience?
Steven Sarabia:Oh, yeah. All the stories whenever we did them, they were pretty high up there and the reactions and comments. So it seems like a lot of people are excited. And I think it's just because there's sort of, they've spread out through a lot of the country. So a lot of people who have moved here over the years probably used to have a Buc-ee's where they were at. And so now they get to see, oh, somewhere where I grew up sort of here. And now I can go there.
Host Jordan Byrd:I was looking at some of the other locations that Buc-ee's has around the country. And this is just from an amateur Google search. So I could be way off base. But it really seems like the majority of the locations are kind of in rural areas. And here in Goodyear. I mean, we're 20, 25 minutes from downtown Phoenix, it seems like this location, the Buc-ee's in Goodyear is kind of unusual, because it's so close to a giant Metro urban area. Is that accurate?
Steven Sarabia:I think there's sort of setup for the long drives. So I think y'all are in a good spot. If somebody from Phoenix wants to go to California for the weekend or go to Yuma y'all are like right there at the edge, stop by fill up, get your stuff and head out or even going the other way to Tucson. So I think this is a pretty good spot for that sort of like road trip stop.
Host Jordan Byrd:We touched a little bit on some of the products some of the food items that they have, but for your experience and your tastes. What are the must try food items for a Buc-ee's newbie.
Steven Sarabia:So everyone always says the beaver nuggets but I'm gonna say the milk chocolate covered beaver nuggets. I think those are better than...
Unknown:Yeah, it's got milk chocolate, right. Everything's better with milk chocolate.
Steven Sarabia:And I think what a lot of people don't realize is they do their own candy. Also, I like the milk chocolate covered pretzels. I think there's a trend with the chocolate. And yeah, I think the jerky would be another good thing to recommend.
Host Tammy Vo:And there's a lot of jerky Right? Like it's not just a couple of flavors.
Steven Sarabia:Oh yeah, they got, they got flavors you've probably never even heard of. So whatever you're feeling, I feel like they have an option for that. And of course you gotta get the brisket sandwich. I feel like it gets the job done.
Host Jordan Byrd:So barbecue sandwich and then basically milk chocolate covered anything is kind of the must tries. Okay.
Host Tammy Vo:Well, I just want to know, are you going to be there on opening day? And are you gonna be there as a fan? Are you going to be reporting on opening day? I
Steven Sarabia:I want to, I want to be there as the reporter, I want to talk to the people because it was fun doing the story because I also went around asking people who had never heard of it, and are some people who were super excited. So I'd be interested to sort of follow up on that story. And now that it's open, talk to people and get their reaction. If not, then I'm definitely gonna go check it out.
Host Jordan Byrd:Well, and I'm just fascinated who else is going to be there? I mean, who's going to be the person who traveled the furthest to be at the Goodyear Buc-ee's?
Host Tammy Vo:I mean, Lenny Kravitz just dropped in so anything's possible. It's true. Might see some celeb sightings. Who knows?
Host Jordan Byrd:Is there any tips that we may not have already covered that you could offer as advice to people as they are learning about Buc-ee's for the first time or if they're falling in love with Buc-ee's is all over again? Is there any tips that we may have not already covered?
Steven Sarabia:I think it's just experienced it as it is just go there. When you need to say hey, I'm low on gas, just stop by and see if it's your thing or not.
Host Jordan Byrd:Well, Steven thank you so much for joining us here on the Growing Goodyear podcast and shedding a little bit of insight and light on what we can expect here with the Goodyear Buc-ee's. We hope to see you there for the grand opening. And thank you so much for taking the time to join us.
Steven Sarabia:Thanks for having me.
Host Jordan Byrd:So you can hear from Steven, just the passion that the people who have been to a Buc-ee's before has for this business and has for all of the products that they offer. And speaking of some of those products, the beaver nuggets, the jerky those are some of the most popular items that Buc-ee's has in their stores. So not that long ago, I took some of those products, the beaver nuggets, the jerky and I headed down to the Goodyear Recreation Campus to see what the residents of Goodyear thought about Buc-ee's and its products coming to our city. Have you guys heard of Buc-ee's so these are beaver nuggets. And so you got bold and spicy their original see salted caramel, and then different jerkies a pepper a lemon pepper and a Korean barbecue. Well, I've
Unknown:Well, I've heard that they're jerky is the best. Definitely wanted to try it.
Montage:And which one did you try? You tried the Korean barbecue match. Good. Are you let me get your opinion on the lemon pepper then. It's a little spicier. I like it. I think I would buy the Korean barbecue. Which one did you like best? Like lemon pepper better? So you went with the original beaver nuggets? What do you think? Really good. Yeah. To me. They kind of have like a corncob Yeah, that's what
Unknown:I was thinking Corn Pops with like caramel or something. Feel
Montage:Feel free to taste if you want to try some of these other ones. That's okay. I gotta get the thumbs up. Thumbs up. Okay, so which one was this one?
Unknown:Let's see. Salted Caramel. You liked that one very light. can taste a caramel and the salt but it's a light corn. I like it.
Montage:It was a beautiful review. Yeah, that was professional. What do you think? These are good. Tasty. Kind of caramel. Buttery. Oh, wait, who's going into the hot awesome.
Unknown:Oh, I love these bold and spicy. Very good. Very spicy. I like this one too.
Montage:What do you think about the hot and spicy nuggets? The spicy but sweet at the same time? That's good. Yeah. Is it too spicy? Or is it right?
Unknown:Oh not for me. It's perfect for me. I love it. A little bit. Yeah, for me. Yeah.
Child:Has a lot of flavor.
Montage:The Korean barbecue jerky has been popular and the bold and spicy nuggets have been very popular so far. You want me to Okay. Will you do it with me? If I take one? Will you take one? Okay.
Montage 3:Haven't tried it?
Speaker 2:Yeah. All right. Well, let's take it together. So I see the spicy. It's like popcorn, but it's not spicy that it's not like a hot Cheeto or Takis. I think for me personally, I think that might be my favorite. Me too.
Montage:Yeah, that see salted caramel is good being out here.
Host Jordan Byrd:So far, we've met a lot of people and not a
Unknown:I have family in Texas and we go down there. I'm awed ton of them even know what Buc-ee's is. So it's interesting to have someone who actually knows what Buc-ee's is. by the bikinis, the sheer size of the bikinis and all the products they have to offer there and the number of filling stations they have. That's awesome. Looking forward to see it in a Goodyear.
Child:I love Buc-ee's.
Host Tammy Vo:So Jordan, we should probably give people an idea of where this Buc-ee's is going to be really a prime location for a lot of things that are about to open in
Host Jordan Byrd:Yeah. So it's going to be on Bullard Avenue, Goodyear. just south of I-10. And Tammy, it's going to be kind of in this corridor, this area that we are seeing a ton of development in in the city of Goodyear, where just north of it in the White Castle will be opening up here very soon. And then just right around the corner is GSQ, Goodyear's future downtown.
Host Tammy Vo:So much happening in this area and it's really exciting to see that all pop up. And we also probably want to give people an idea of what they're going to see at this Buc-ee's when they show up there. So first of all, it is going to be more like a travel center as well how they're explaining it 120 fueling stations, and no tractor trailers or semi trucks. So certainly a place where people can stop, hopefully park very easily and get in and out of there. Yeah.
Host Jordan Byrd:Yeah, and that's, I think one of the big misconceptions about Buc-ee's. Is that, oh, it's a gigantic truckstop. No, it's not. And that's where it's kind of hard
Host Tammy Vo:Jordan, the convenience store alone is to define what Buc-ee's really is, because it has the makings of that, but it really isn't. And, of course, in this Buc-ee's, as we mentioned with Steven, as you've heard from some of these other audio clips throughout this episode, the brisket, the fudge the products that they make in house fresh daily, that accompany their packaged products that we heard from the folks at the Goodyear Rec Campus sampling, that has just made Buc-ee's such a huge cult fan favorite. expected to be about 23% larger than a football field that is massive, they're going to hire around 200 full time employees with what they say is pay above the minimum wage, full benefits 401 K matching. And I think that really kind of tells the story of the types of staff we will see there. We've heard a lot from people who've traveled to Buc-ee'ssaying, the employees are so nice, they've got great staff there. And that really goes along with the story of you know how they're hiring.
Host Jordan Byrd:Well, and it's also a testament to what's happening here in the west valley where the population growth of not only Goodyear, but the surrounding areas has provided Buc-ee's a workforce that is now ready to take on filling 200 plus positions that Buc-ee's is going to need. So it's also just a tip of the cap to the growth that's happening in Goodyear and the rest of the West Valley as well.
Host Tammy Vo:We are so pleased that Buc-ee's chose Goodyear as a place to open up and we can expect Buc-ee's to hopefully open sometime in 2025.
Host Jordan Byrd:I know people are going to have their calendar set they're going to have a marked people from what I've seen on social media Tammy people are going to be traveling for the opening of the Goodyear Buc-ee's from the rest of the state from the rest of the region. I've seen people as far as California and Las Vegas that can't wait for Buc-ee's to open in Goodyear. And I know we're in that group as well. We can't wait.
Host Tammy Vo:Ypu said it Jordan, thanks so much for joining us here on the Growing Goodyear podcast and we will see you on opening day at Buc-ee's. And until then, it's a great time to be in Goodyear.
Close:That concludes this episode of Growing Goodyear. Make sure to leave us a review and subscribe on your favorite streaming or podcast player app. If you have any questions or comments, email us at communications at Goodyear az.gov And don't forget to follow us on the city of Goodyear's social media pages.