Buc-ee’s is coming to town. Although construction at the new location off of I-35 isn’t scheduled to start until summer, the beaver’s arrival is still quite good news.
The Alamo aside, little else is as associated with Texas besides H-E-B and Buc-ee’s. Bobcats already have H-E-B in town but, until now, have been forced to drive 14 miles to New Braunfels if they want Buc-ee’s action.
From jobs to gas prices to the overall experience, the construction of a new adorably beaver-themed gas station in the city is a fantastic development for San Marcos.
Of course, little else can get college students as excited as the promise of new jobs. In that aspect, Buc-ee’s delivers. The new location will offer 175 opportunities for full-time employment. Even if some students aren’t able to work full-time, San Marcos residents who are currently working part-time jobs have the opportunity to apply and switch to working full-time at Buc-ee’s, therefore freeing up spots in town for students to take.
“There’s really not a lot of jobs hiring right now. I’m working part time [at a call center], so [when] Buc-ee’s opens up in town, I want to work there,” Audren Piedro, a San Marcos resident, said.
Buc-ee’s is one of the biggest Texas staples. As an out-of-state student all the way from New York, the first thing my friends here took me to see wasn’t Schlitterbahn, Whataburger or even the Alamo, it was the Buc-ee’s in New Braunfels. Not 48 hours had passed since I got off my plane, and my parents already had a picture of me next to a statue of a goofy beaver in a funny hat.
The Texas State freshman class of 2023 came from 37 states and 22 countries. Students from California, Florida and Nevada to Turkey, Nepal and India all came down to Bobcat Country to spend the next few years getting their degree. By the time they leave, they’ll almost be as Texan as anybody from Houston or El Paso. Out-of-state and international students will appreciate having a relic of Texas culture in close proximity.
“I am a huge fan of Buc-ee’s,” Clay Diercks, a history freshman, said. “I will drive at least 50 miles out of the way any road trip I go on just to go to the nearest Buc-ee’s, as will every single other Texan. Buc-ee’s is the Texas thing… I’m really excited it’s coming to San Marcos.”
Of course, not everything is rainbows and sunshine, and even Buc-ee’s has its flaws. Despite high pay, Buc-ee’s is known for its high turnover rate, and what the Washington Post described as “poor management, rigid policies and exhausting working conditions.”
However, Buc-ee’s pays more than two and a half times the minimum wage. Although a large paycheck won’t necessarily alleviate the stress of those who work there, it will certainly help. High pay has the potential to cancel out worries regarding tuition, food, rent and other money-related stress factors.
A major business moving into a small town always brings a plethora of both boons and demerits. Although faults are not to be overlooked, it certainly seems like the benefits Buc-ee’s will bring to Bobcat Country outweigh its flaws.
– Nikita Arefiev is an international relations freshman
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