World’s Smallest Buc-ee’s Makes Surprise Re-appearance in West Texas

Sure, Dolly Parton's hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee is currently home to the largest Buc-ee's in the country (though it won't be the largest for long). But every Buc-ee's is huge.

Lots of floor space, dozens of pumps, plenty of parking, and more require those rest stops to be big facilities. So it really doesn't make sense to build them small.

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And that's what makes this West Texas building all the more peculiar.

Somewhere between Sanderson and Marathon in West Texas is this building, which is apparently not a real Buc-ee's, but it's not the first time it's popped up.

Via Fox 4 News in Dallas:

The small site isn't an actual Buc-ee's, there are no beaver nuggets or gas to be had at the location. It is an art installation, similar to the Prada store in Marfa that was built in 2005.

The small Buc-ee's first appeared on Highway 90 in April 2022, leading to several posts on social media before it was eventually taken down.

Buc-ee's has not publicly commented on the return of the fake gas station.

As explained over at Texas Monthly, the art installation is a commentary on American consumerism, much like two similar installations that have popped up in West Texas over the years - a Target outside Marathon and the Prada installation near Marfa.

The current iteration of the installation appears nearly identical to the first, though this time around, it’s joined by a faux Texas state historical marker commemorating the earlier piece. It designates the structure as the “World’s Smallest Bucee’s [sic]” and reads:

“Originally established April 1st 2022, This [sic] Bucee’s location served the area faithly [sic] despite its lack of operating hours, bathrooms [sic] employees or a home decor section. It was an important content stop for weary Instagram Influencers and other travelers on the famous Marfa Trail. A shift to e-commerce, rising gas prices, and a worldwide Beaver Nugget shortage forced the location to close on April 4th, 2022. In 2023, a replica of the original Tiny Bucees was built on this site. To this day it continues to draw crowds and litigation.”

Buc-ee's is not sure who actually created the sign, but they did send a cleaning crew to work the bathrooms. At least we know they're paid well enough to do (out)house calls.

If you happen to be traveling to or through West Texas and want to see the exhibit, you'd better hurry. Who knows when it will disappear again?

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Buc-ee's is a beloved chain, and it certainly has some devoted fans. Like this Texas family, who traveled to all of the Buc-ee's in their state.