Woman Goes To Kentucky Buc-ee’s. Then She Notices Something Unsettling About Buc-ee’s Cola: ‘What The Buck?’

As any frequent road-tripper will tell you, Buc-ee’s is a truly one-of-a-kind place.

Boasting clean bathrooms, high wages for employees, and more snacks and merchandise than one could sample in a lifetime, the Texas-based chain has earned a massive fanbase both on- and offline.

That said, things aren’t always rosy under the banner of the beaver. The chain has recently attracted controversy over its tendency to sue chains with similar names and logos. One example includes a store in Beavercreek, Ohio, that features, well, a beaver. In another case, they sued a chain called Mickey’s over their logo, claiming that it could cause customer confusion. This left many onlookers themselves confused, as Mickey’s logo is a moose.

Still, fans flock to the chain in search of not only Buc-ee’s branded goodies but name-brand products as well. However, one of these name-brand products may be becoming more difficult to find, as one TikTok user recently discovered.

What’s Going On With These Buc-ee’s Soda Fountains?

In a video with over 58,000 views, TikTok user Kylee Francescon (@kyleescandles) shows a bay of fountain drinks. She is inside a Buc-ee’s location in Smiths Grove, Kentucky.

“Does anyone want to tell me what’s wrong with this picture?” she asks.

Over the next few seconds, she shows four bays of fountain beverages. While everything seems normal at first, it soon becomes clear that a fountain drink staple is absent.

“What should be here?” she asks. She shows the Buc-ee’s brand Diet Cola and points at the mascot. “That guy? No.”

While there are other name-brand sodas like 7-Up, Sunkist, and Dr. Pepper, Coke products are nowhere to be found.

“80 Frickin’ Fountains and NO DIET COKE?!? What the BUCK?!?” Francescon asks in the video’s overlay text.

Where’s The Coca-Cola?

Historically, Buc-ee’s has a deal with Coca-Cola to supply their products in its soda fountains. The Takeout reported in 2025 that Buc-ee’s had an exclusivity arrangement with Coca-Cola going back to 1997. While there was one reported location with Pepsi products in the fountains, all other Buc-ee’s locations reportedly served only Coca-Cola products and Dr. Pepper products.

This appears to be changing. In a Reddit post from March 2025, a user complained that a Buc-ee’s location in Temple, Texas, informed him that their location no longer carried Coca-Cola products in their fountains. Others have reported the disappearance of Coke products as far back as 2023.

What’s the chain’s replacement for Coca-Cola and other Coke products? It appears that they may be replacing the soda with their own store brand.

Buc-ee’s has had their own private label soda for years. A 2013 review mentions the chain’s own-brand root beer, and by 2018, visitors reported seeing everything from Buc-ee’s cream soda to Buc-ee’s fruit punch in the chain’s fountain drink station.

It’s unclear if all Buc-ee’s locations are getting rid of Coca-Cola, if this is a trial, or if this is simply a regional concern.

Francescon Says It’s New

In an email, Francescon says she asked an employee about the missing beverages.

“He was super nice and just said ‘Yeah, we don’t have Diet Coke in the fountain. But we do have Buc-ee’s Diet,’” she recalls.

Still, she reiterates that this location used to have Coca-Cola products.

“It’s been a while since I was at the Alabama location, but when I did visit it, it did have Coke products in their fountains. Note that I have family and friends that live in Arizona and they just had a grand opening of a Buc-ee’s there and they report back that they all have Coke products.”

She further states that she did try their version of Diet Cola and was not pleased.

“I did try the Buc-ees Diet at the suggestion of the employee and it was not good. It tasted like weak, flat Diet Pepsi,” she explains.

“I don’t have a problem with Buc-ee’s selling their own sodas at all. But when you have 80 fountains and you’re just repeating the same Buc-ee’s flavors, it seems overkill,” she continues. “Why not offer a variety just like Circle K, QT, and 7-Eleven do?!? Buc-ees literal mission statement is: ‘We have been committed to providing a clean, friendly, and in stock experience for our customers.’ In my opinion at this location they failed.”

“Also, did you know that in their FAQ on their website they list which locations have ‘Deer Corn’ in stock?!? It’s a convenience store…and a travel stop…in my opinion I should expect to get a 44oz mainstream fountain drink before I expect to be able to buy Deer Feed!” she adds. “Or maybe they should list which locations carry Coke products in the fountain too!”

Buc-ee’s Fans Aren’t Happy

In the comments section, viewers expressed their disappointment over the lack of Coca-Cola products.

“All generic crap. No Coke or Diet Coke or zero,” wrote a user.

“All I wanted was a pepsi and she wouldn’t give it to me,” added another.

“They took out Coke which is why I stopped shopping there,” offered a third.

That said, some claimed they were satisfied with the options they had.

“Actually their soda is BETTER than the mainstream s— …… YEAH I SAID IT!!” exclaimed a commenter.

“I see Dr pepper and that’s all I need,” stated a second. “So no I don’t see anything missing.”

BroBible reached out to Buc-ee’s via media contact form and Francescon via website contact form and Facebook direct message.