Growing up, there was a game room near me called Family Billiards. It was your typical early 80’s game room with pool tables, pinball machines and video games, such as Pac Man and Galaga and others. It was the beginning of the video game era and we all had to go there. As in, we went every day and found every excuse to get up there and go.
The pull of that place was because our friends were there and it was the hottest spot to be because of the video games. We had a reason to be there and it was pretty cut and dry.
Now there is a place that we all have to go to and not only that, but take pictures and selfies and more pictures and more selfies. Here is where I am befuddled—–What is the secret of this place? Why do all of us have to go there and stop?
I am talking about Buc-ee’s. Now don’t come here as a contrarian and say you have never been and all of that because we have all been. I ask people all the time why you stopped there and no one has ever given me a concrete reason. Sure, the brisket is an allure but you can get better brisket just about anywhere.
Again, what is the secret? It is just an adorable beaver on a sign? I really don’t know and I have never seen anything like this since my Family Billiards in Hermitage shut down 40 years ago. You can get gas, drinks, food, etc., at practically any other service station on the trip. Yes, I will give you that the bathrooms are clean and plenty of them but is a clean bathroom the reason that makes you pull in and waste an hour?
It reminds me of the tractor beam in the Star Wars movies. You remember, you get stuck in that and you can’t leave, no matter how hard you try. Does Buc-ee’s have a tractor beam at every single location that you can’t get out of? I was on a plane recently with a high-level employee from Buc-ee’s and it was a fascinating conversation. He was telling me just how packed all the places were and then told me one thing that I had never noticed.
He said to pay attention to every single Buc-ee’s billboard. I said yes, I see them and they make me laugh. He replied that the next time I see a billboard, look at the bottom and it is on every billboard. Once I saw this, I realized how simple and genius it is.
At the bottom of every Buc-ee’s billboard, it will tell you how many miles you are away from the next location. Now, it may not seem as a wow, but when you are on the road and you see, ’87 miles away,’ and then, ’44 miles away,’ you say to yourself or whoever is in the car, “Hey, only 22 miles away.” For some reason, that works on me. That works on you. That works on every single one of us.
The best example I have heard of Buc-ee’s is that is a combination of Chick-Fil-A and Walmart. Let that sink in for a moment and when it hits, you will know exactly what I am talking about.
Again, I have never in my lifetime seen a pull of a place the way Buc-ee’s has on all of us. Maybe we are not supposed to figure it out and let it just happen.
That seems to work just fine with me. I stopped fighting it and now just pull in and walk out with $30 of food, drink and Lord knows what else.
Now how many miles to the next one?
