In August 2026, Buc-ee’s convenience store chain CEO Arch “Beaver” Aplin III said the company was focused on building new stores in “conservative, business-friendly” states.
A rumor that the CEO of a popular chain of convenience stores in the southern United States said the the company would no longer pursue locations in so-called “blue states” circulated online in August 2026.
Users on Facebook and a popular thread on Reddit suggested Buc-ee’s CEO Arch “Beaver” Aplin III said the company was focused on building in “conservative, business-friendly states.”
The quote was correctly attributed to Aplin.
The Buc-ee’s CEO said it during public remarks on Aug. 17, celebrating the opening of a Buc-ees location in Benton, Arkansas, after being introduced by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Aplin’s full remarks are viewable on YouTube.
The quote in question began at the 2:11 mark, when Aplin revealed Sanders had asked him to build a Buc-ee’s in Arkansas. He said:
We’re building in a lot of places but when you find a conservative, business-friendly state with a phenomenal workforce, it makes a difference. And I’m starting to realize life’s too short to try and build in places that people don’t appreciate what you’re bringing. Versus a place like this, where people do appreciate what you’re building.
So that leadership, that concept, that idea of conservative, business-friendly, family-oriented concept, works so much better if it trickles down from the very leadership from the very top at the governor’s office.
A Buc-ee’s news release said the Benton location was the company’s 58th store and would create more than 200 jobs for the community. Buc-ee’s was founded in 1982 and operates primarily in the South.
Local media covered the store opening, including NBC affiliate KARK, CBS affiliate KTHV and the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. The local reports didn’t mention Aplin’s specific comments nor did they report anything about the chain avoiding blue states.
On Aug. 18, Sanders posted a clip of Aplin’s remarks to her Facebook page and wrote, “That’s why red states like Arkansas are surging and people and businesses are fleeing blue states.”
Later reporting from The Comeback and Fox Business homed in on Aplin’s comments, as well as Sanders’ takeaway that the chain intended to stop pursuing locations in so-called blue states. It was these reports that started circulating wider online and got increased media pickup, resulting in the claim gaining popularity.
While we found this to be a reasonable interpretation of Aplin’s comments, it’s crucial to note that Aplin himself didn’t explicitly say the company would be “avoiding blue states” during his remarks on Aug. 17. We reached out to Buc-ee’s for clarification on the company’s plan’s for development in red vs. blue states and will update this article if we hear back.
