The Wholesome Reason Buc-Ee's Mascot Is A Beaver

Buc-ee's is more than a mere gas station; it's a traveler's oasis, with some locations encompassing tens of thousands of square feet. From its uber-clean bathrooms, to boasting over a dozen flavors of beef jerky, all made in Texas, to its incomparable gas station hot dogs, and its employees hollering when its tender and juicy brisket is being carved and served up fresh, Buc-ee's has its own way of doing things. And to make everything that falls under its empire is even further recognizable, the Buc-ee's mascot features prominently throughout the stores. But have you ever wondered why it's a beaver? The wholesome reason is that Buc-ee's CEO Arch Aplin's childhood nickname was "Beaver."

When he was born, his mom started calling him Beaver, and the name stuck. It was apparently inspired by a toothpaste commercial featuring a space-age version of this second-largest rodent in the world, named Bucky Beaver. So when the time came to pick an animal representative for the company's logo, Aplin didn't have to search very far.

There's also an adorable animal connection for the Buc-ee's name. When choosing what to call his eventual gas station empire, Aplin turned to his Labrador retriever, who was named Buck. We can honestly think of no better way to honor a beloved pet!

The cartoon beaver, whose buck-teeth and red baseball cap, the brim of which stands up at an almost unnatural angle to accommodate its wide eyes (and to add to the cuteness factor, there's a hole in the side of the hat for the beaver's ear), was actually initially drawn by Arch Aplin himself. He described the logo as "approachable" and "friendly" (via TAMU), and it has truly set the tone for making Buc-ee's the kind of place you want to visit (if only because you're intrigued by a gas station with a rodent as its mascot). The cartoon beaver also signifies that the rest stops are family-friendly, a great relief for traveling parents, and that the company can be silly and offbeat.

And the welcoming beaver mascot is putting in the work, with results. It is estimated that the Buc-ee's chain sees more than 100 million guests each year, with some individual locations assisting over 3.5 million first-time visitors during their travels in a single year. These customers are often greeted by a bronze beaver statue outside of the store, before entering a whole world of beaver-branded goods — everything from apparel, to plushies, to snacks, like the beloved Beaver Nuggets. In some locations, there might even be a life-size mascot walking around, which some guests will go so far as to plan to stop and take pictures with.