Buc-ee’s Founder Shapes Texas A&M With New Aplin Center

Buc-ee's is leaving its mark on Texas A&M!

The Aplin Center Breaks Ground at Texas A&M

It has been five years in the making, and now Texas A&M University has officially broken ground for the Aplin Center. According to Texas A&M, the $250 million dollar project will focus on all things food and nutrition sciences, retail, and hospitality. And who knows more about these things than Buc-ee's founder Arch "Beaver" Aplin. The creator of Buc-ee's donated $60 million gift to make the project a reality.

The Aplin Center Will Welcome Students to A&M

The Aplin Center will be the first thing new A&M students see when visiting the Campus. The new building will be a modern replacement for the current visitor center. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said, "Just like Beaver changed the retailing and hospitality industry, students at A&M will apply that knowledge to design the future of the service industry." The planned completion date for the Aplin Center is February 2028.

Buc-ee's Started with A Single Idea

You’ve heard the saying, “All it takes is a single idea.” Buc-ee's is proof that a fortune can be made with an original idea. If you grew up in the world “before’ Buc-ee's, you know how tedious a gas station stop could be. After you visited a dirty restroom, you had to find something to eat or drink at another stop. Gas stations back in the day were for either oil changes or emergency bathroom breaks. Arch Aplin changed all that. He decided to make a gas station a destination. And boy did he!