Buc-ee’s has developed a pretty dedicated fanbase.
Fans travel for miles to chow down on Buc-ee’s cuisine or even pick up some of its many merchandise staples, such as the Buc-ee’s bikini.
One of the things that fans of the chain say they love about it is its fresh food. Unlike some rest stop chains, which mainly stock prepackaged products, Buc-ee’s offers a variety of freshly made food options, ranging from sandwiches to freshly roasted nuts.
But are those nuts really as freshly roasted as they claim? One man has a theory that they’re not.
What’s The Deal With Buc-ee’s Nuts?
In a video with over 402,000 views, TikTok user @notyouraveragegenxdad shows a nut roaster at a Buc-ee’s location.
“I have this suspicion that they don’t make their nuts here,” he starts, filming the nut roaster. “This thing, it just sits there and turns all the time just to make it look like they’re making these fresh nuts.”
“That’s such a small portion that they’re making at a time. It would take forever to make all this,” he continues, showing the variety of roasted nut products being sold at the store.
The TikToker further states his belief that the nuts are likely “coming in a box,” with a small amount placed in the front “for looks.”
“Am I wrong?” he asks in conclusion.
Is He Wrong?
Yes.
Seeing as his evidence is just “vibes,” there’s no real reason to disprove what he’s saying—but you still can.
Numerous publications have noted that Buc-ee’s genuinely roasts its nuts in-house. The Houston Press has said it, EatingWell has written about it, an article in the Washington Post references it, and Southern Living has made repeated mention of the chain’s in-house roasted nuts. There are also forum posts from alleged current and former Buc-ee’s employees where they discuss roasting nuts.
But could a single roaster really roast enough nuts for the whole store?
To start, machines like these can roast more nuts than they appear to be able to handle. For example, a comparable machine for sale online claims it can process 8 to 10 pounds of nuts in 10 to 12 minutes. For perspective, an 8-pound batch can fill 32 four-ounce cones, meaning it’s possible that this roaster alone could be enough for a store.
However, some commenters under the video claim that there are additional nut roasters out of customer view. This would explain how the Buc-ee’s location is able to meet demand while still leaving a single nut roaster working in customer view to indicate that the nuts are, in fact, freshly roasted.
In the comments section, users expressed major skepticism about the TikToker’s theory.
“Hi. Former Bucees employee here. Yes they make them in house. But they have other machines located in the back. It takes FOREVER. And then you have to hand scoop them into the paper cones…it’s a nightmare,” claimed a user.
“Worked at buccees. You have to bag 50 cones before you can leave. It’s a constant thing. Its usually someone’s job to keep the nuts going also,” explained another.
Other users simply mocked the idea that one would be surprised by a store not making everything in-house.
“Once I went to the grocery store to buy milk and I saw it coming off a truck. I always thought they had cows in the back,” joked a user.
“The nuts are actually made on trees,” offered a second.
BroBible reached out to Buc-ee’s via email and @notyouraveragegenxdad via TikTok direct message and comment.