The Popular Soda Brand You Won't Find At Any Buc-Ee's Location

If you saw one of those billboards in New Jersey advertising some store called "Buc-ee's" hundreds of miles away, you may not know what you're missing. The convenience store and gas station chain, once a local gem known only to Texans, has attracted a deeply loyal customer base awed by the variety of their wares, the fun of their branding, and their impeccably clean bathrooms. (Having a gas station with clean bathrooms is the convenience store equivalent of winning the Space Race.) But while it's always a delight to see these giant stores on the side of the road serving as an oasis for hungry, weary travelers, you can't get everything you want there. Notably, if you're looking to buy any Pepsi products, we're afraid you're out of luck. The chain has an exclusive contract with Pepsi's main competitor, Coca-Cola. (Except in Colorado, for some reason.)

Back in 1997, Buc-ee's entered a contract with Coca-Cola which said the chain can only sell Coke products. This is standard operating procedure for restaurants, especially chains — McDonald's and Burger King only sell Coca-Cola, for instance, while Taco Bell and KFC take Pepsi's side in the soda wars. It is, however, more unusual for a convenience store, especially one on the side of a highway. After all, a Pepsi drinker being stranded in some far-flung rest stop with nary a Mountain Dew in sight would be one heck of an inconvenience.

There is one exception to the no-Pepsi rule, all the more notable for how inexplicable it is. The sole Buc-ee's in Colorado, just outside Johnstown, sells Pepsi (and not Coca-Cola). Why is this the case? There's no clear answer. Is it due to some obscure local regulation? Maybe it's some kind of trial balloon for integrating Pepsi products in the future? (The Colorado Buc-ee's only opened in 2024, so maybe there's a statute of limitations at play.) In any case, while there's a long list of sodas you can get from the fountain at Buc-ee's outside Johnstown, Coke products aren't among them.

Is it possible that the chain is trying to wriggle out of its contract with Coca-Cola? Perhaps. When it signed that deal in 1997, Buc-ee's was not yet the beloved chain it is today — it hadn't even expanded outside of Texas yet. (Today, it has locations in nine states with more on the way as the chain expands north.) Maybe its success has lent it more negotiating power as Pepsi starts to take notice, but it's safe to say Coca-Cola will want to keep a good thing going. Either way, if you're looking for a Pepsi, you might want to try your luck someplace with a slightly less whimsical mascot.