Work is on schedule for Colorado’s first Buc-ee’s to open early next year.
The Texas-based company, known for its mega convenience stores, gas stations and red-capped beaver mascot, is building a store in Johnstown. The store will be the company’s first planned outside the South and the farthest west.
And at 74,000 square feet, the Johnstown store will be one of the biggest Buc-ee’s and one of more than 40. There will be 120 gas pumps.
“We’re scheduled to open the store in March. As we get closer to March, we’ll announce the official day,” Jeff Nadalo, Buc-ee’s general counsel, said.
The building at the southwest corner of Interstate 25 and Colorado 60 is taking shape, clearly recognizable as a Buc-ee’s. The store will be the same size as one in Sevierville, Tenn., currently the largest Buc-ee’s, Nadalo said.
Hiring has started for the Johnstown store. The company plans to hire about 400 people for jobs including grocery and warehouse stockers; deli workers; cashiers; food and merchandise associates; managers; and janitors and maintenance attendants.
Buc-ee’s will host a hiring event Jan. 23-27 in Loveland from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Embassy Suites by Hilton Loveland Hotel Conference Center, 4705 Clydesdale Parkway. People must apply online beforehand by going to www.buc-ees.com/careers.
Online applications will be reviewed and phone screening interviews conducted, the company said in a statement Tuesday. Candidates who advance to the next stage will be invited to interview.
“We look forward to hitting the ground running and hiring team members that will afford an unforgettable experience for travelers at the foothills of the beautiful Northern Front Range,” Josh Smith of Buc-ee’s said in a statement.
The pay is in the $18-$22 range, Nadalo said. Employees get three weeks paid time off, medical and dental benefits and a 6% matching 401(k) contribution after one year on the job, he said.
Nadalo said Buc-ee’s locates its stores in areas where there are families and people who are on vacation and where there’s a pool of employees to pull from. Northern Colorado is one of the state’s fastest-growing regions.
The company doesn’t allow 18-wheelers because its travel centers are “optimized for passenger vehicles,” Nadalo said.
Buc-ee’s stores are known for its big selection of merchandise and food, including Texas barbecue, freshly baked pastries and beaver nuggets, caramel coated corn pops.
And it has a reputation for super-clean bathrooms. In 2012, a Buc-ee’s store in New Braunfels, Texas, won “America’s Best Restroom Award,” from Cintas, a business services company.
Updated Jan. 10 at 11:41 a.m. to add details of hiring event to be held in Loveland.
Get more business news by signing up for our Economy Now newsletter.
