Bucky's #342 Makes a Splash in the Truckstop World

For five decades, Buchanan Energy has been offering the traveling public gasoline, convenience and a car wash. Steve Buchanan started the business in 1980 with a store in Omaha, Nebraska, where the company is headquartered and grew the business to today’s triple digit number of gas stations. They recently took the leap to the diesel side, buying and razing the former Wiedmaier’s Truck Stop in St. Joseph, Missouri, to create a brand-new Bucky's #342. Located just off Interstate 29, the location boasts a 11,500-square-foot store, a CAT Scale, B Fresh Café and car wash. The location also has 20 gasoline pumps and five diesel pumps.
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For five decades, Buchanan Energy has been offering the traveling public gasoline, convenience and a car wash. Steve Buchanan started the business in 1980 with a store in Omaha, Nebraska, where the company is headquartered and grew the business to today’s triple digit number of gas stations.

They recently took the leap to the diesel side, buying and razing the former Wiedmaier’s Truck Stop in St. Joseph, Missouri, to create a brand-new Bucky's #342. Located just off Interstate 29, the location boasts a 11,500-square-foot store, a CAT Scale, B Fresh Café and car wash. The location also has 20 gasoline pumps and five diesel pumps.

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The travel center was built using the company’s core brand promises. Tyrone Evans, regional wholesale fuels manager and acquisitions, who has been with the company for more than 15 years, walked Stop Watch through just a few of them.

BuckysSmoothie.jpgSo Many Beverages
The Bucky’s brand is known for its extensive beverage selection or as their slogan goes, “We've declared that the thirst stops at Bucky's!” For example, they have 14 flavors of smoothies on their smoothie station, 16 flavors of icees and eight selections of cold tea.

They even offer nitrogen infused coffee in their roast house, the area of their store with coffee.

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Ease of Entry with a Smart Layout
“Like all of our stores, you can enter the travel center from any side,” explained Evans. The store layout is open and allows for customers to easily see the transaction counter in the middle.

The transaction counter is a unique design with a semi-circle outside and open sides. This creates opportunities for transaction counter employees to be more in touch with customer needs. “We have a manager out on the floor too,” said Evans.

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A Multitude of Grab-N-Go
Their beverage selection is complimented by a robust grab-n-go offering from their B-Fresh Café. Their private-label food called B- Fresh includes ready to enjoy sandwiches, salads and hot dogs pre-made options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They offer self-serve snacks including salty and sweet and bakery fresh donuts, pastries and muffins. They also offer grab- n-go pizza slices and made-to-order pizza.

They plan to build more travel centers, opening one more at press time.

Photos credit: Darren Schulte/NATSO

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