Man Goes To Tennessee Buc-ee’s. Then He Sees A Manager Do Something That Swears Him Off Buc-ee’s For Good

If you search the internet for information about Buc-ee’s, the popular chain convenience store, one fact will quickly become clear: they pay their employees really, really well.

Photos of locations’ salary structures regularly go viral, with advertisements showing that assistant general managers can expect to earn $125,000 per year—and others even more.

But if one is going to earn that much, there’s likely a lot of work—and interwork drama—that comes with the hefty paycheck. Now, a user on TikTok says he will no longer visit the store after catching an interaction between two employees.

What Happened At This Buc-ee’s?

In a video with over 94,000 views, TikTok user Dave Headrick (@youareunique.life) recounts an unsettling experience at the Sevierville Buc-ee’s location in Tennessee. According to Headrick, he tends to visit this Buc-ee’s location “every day, every other day.” Now, however, he doesn’t think he’ll return.

“I saw something this morning from management…They do not treat their employees with any respect whatsoever,” he starts.

Headrick says he was washing his hands in the bathroom when he noticed a “real old man that’s kind of off to my side sweeping.” In his estimation, the man was around 65 or 70 years old.

“You’ve got this management kid, he’s like maybe 25, got his chest up to this old man holding paper towels, saying, ‘What’s this? What’s this?’” Headrick says. “Old man’s like, ‘Paper towels.’”

“[The manager]’s all like, ‘Why am I doing your job?’” the TikToker continues. “He goes, ‘I know how to do my job. Relax. I’ll get to the paper towels in a minute.’ Management: ‘No, I tell you to do something, you need to do it.’ Blah, blah, blah—and this is right here in front of me as I’m washing my hands.”

The Drama Continues

Headrick says he voiced his concerns to the young manager. Soon after, however, he noticed management confront another employee, this time in a dispute over brisket. This solidified Headrick’s newfound negative feelings toward the chain.

“I don’t care what you pay your people over here; you don’t treat people like that. That is bull crap,” he says.

To close, he complains about how, despite selling many food items, the outdoor area has “not one bench, not one chair you can sit in.”

“No respect for your customers, no respect for your employees. You ain’t get my business no more,” he concludes.

How Does Buc-ee’s Treat Its Workers?

Many on the internet say that Buc-ee’s has a fairly aggressive work culture. As noted on the company’s own website, employees are not allowed to have “visible tattoos,” “body piercings,” or “unnatural colored hair.”

The company also expects employees to work holidays and weekends. Furthermore, even getting the job requires passing “one of the most extensive background checks in the industry,” per the company’s website.

Looking at sites like Indeed, current and former employees have shared their own negative stories from their time on the job. One user claimed he was fired for swearing under his breath with no one around him; the swear, he says, was caught on a surveillance microphone, leading him to state that workers “have no privacy in that job, managers are always surveillancing you on every little thing.”

Others have noted issues like short breaks, strict management, an inability to use one’s phone even in cases of potential emergency, and a bad work-life balance. Indeed users rate working for the company at 2.5 out of 5 stars, with many of the higher ratings citing the good pay. Similar complaints on Glassdoor rate the company 2.6 out of 5 stars.

Commenters Share Their Thoughts

In the comments section, users offered their own gripes about the chain.

“Former employee. You’re correct. 8 hour shifts with no breaks, 20 minutes for lunch (was 10) and you’re not allowed to exit the building until end of your shift. And they have no lunch rooms. You eat in a warehouse with forklifts and dust flying around. With no time to chew your food,” alleged a commenter. “It’s like going to work in a prison. You are not allowed to stop moving for 7 hours and 40 minutes.”

“Terrible business. No respect for anyone at all. I can’t support a company who treats their employees like this,” declared another. “Even if they pay more than a lot of other places, it’s not worth losing your self respect. Do better Buccees!!”

“As long as the place is still packed and their profits are up, corporate won’t care what any of us say,” countered a third. “The way to send a message is to stop shopping there.”

BroBible reached out to Buc-ee’s via email and Headrick via TikTok direct message and comment.