Buc-ee's, Wawa, and Wally's look to reinvent the American road trip

[People pumping gas at Buc-ee’s in Robertsdale Alabama]
Carmen K Sisson/iStock Editorial via Getty Images

The open highway American road stop is evolving as more travelers time their stops to take advantage of super-sized gas stations such as Buc-ee's, Wawa, and Wally's that have changed the quick fill-up and a bag of chips fix into a full-scale destination experience catering to families with children and pets. The experience-driven travel stops all feature lots of fresh food, branded merchandise, clean restrooms, EV charging stations, and a strong identity.

Buc-ee's, founded in 1982 and largely relegated to the South for decades, has aggressively pushed into new territory, with locations now featuring over 100 gas pumps and stores exceeding 75K square feet. The chain currently operates 54 stores, 36 of which are in Texas, but has announced an expansion to at least 62 locations as it enters seven new states between 2026 and 2027. In 2025 alone, Buc-ee's broke ground in Goodyear, Arizona; San Marcos, Texas; Benton, Arkansas; Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Kansas City, Kansas; and Ruston, Louisiana. Meanwhile, Ohio's first-ever Buc-ee's location is expected to open soon.

Wawa is pursuing an equally ambitious trajectory. The Delaware County chain broke ground for its first stores in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana in 2025, committing to open 160 stores across those three states over the next five to eight years with a $1.2B investment. That geographic expansion puts it in direct competition with Kwik Trip. Wawa's broader goal is to reach 1.8K stores by 2030, up from its current base of over 1K locations. The chain also made a notable pivot toward truck traffic by opening its first travel center in Hope Mills, North Carolina, featuring 20 passenger fuel spots and six high-speed diesel lanes for tractor-trailers.

Midwest-based Wally's has also generated a lot of buzz with its locations in Pontiac, Illinois, and Fenton, Missouri, and a clear destination feel. Other chains such as Sheetz, QuikTrip, Maverik, and Parker's have tried to compete, not by going super-sized, but by skewing more to a clean, convenience store vibe over a truck stop feel.

For investors, the super-sized gas station trend could have some relevance for chains such as Murphy USA (MUSA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/MUSA]), BP's (BP [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BP]) TravelCenters of America, Love's, and Pilot Flying J. There is also data out suggesting McDonald's (MCD [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/MCD]), Yum! Brands (YUM [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/YUM]), Casey's General Stores (CASY [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CASY]), and Restaurant Brands International (QSR [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/QSR]) have lost incremental highway sales. The more interesting bets would be if Buc-ees, Wawa, or Wally's ever went public, as their sky-high brand loyalty would generate IPO buzz, but each company is structured in a way that makes the privatization path unlikely.

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