So if you’ve even road-tripped to Florida (as we have multiple times) or visited in some parts of the south and southwest, you have likely experienced a “Bucc-ees” or surely encountered one of their many highway billboards. It’s a much talked-about place, a memorable experience, it’s quite different than most any other.
What is Bucc-ee’s? It’s basically a gas-station and convenience store – on steroids! The Buccees we stopped at in Florence South Carolina and in Florida have no less than 100 gas pumps! 100! They have dozens of ice-machines, huge soda and coffee filling stations, many aisles and coolers of drinks and snacks (much less Kosher variety must say, than you’d find in northeast) and racks and stacks of merch and gear and home-goods. You can even buy a large smoker or fire-pit, you name it! But it doesn’t stop there! They have (non-Kosher) brisket and fudge carving stations, all manned by cheerful and singing staff at all times of day and night. The place never closes! Their greatest claim to fame (and biggest bane and fear for road-trippers in general) are their bathrooms: gorgeous, well-kept, always super clean – and like the gas pumps, SO many of them! There’s a loyalty and cult-following, people hang out there, gravitate towards it, it’s a most unusual travel stop.
In Baal Shem Tov spirit of learning spiritual life lessons from all we see, hear and experience, what takeaway lessons are there from encountering and experiencing such an unusual and quite memorable phenomenon?
(1) Think Big! Who needs so many gas pumps? Are they ever all in use? Possibly, maybe, at extreme peak times? But the Buccee’s style is not to reckon with petty calculations and measured efficiency like that. They’re thinking “Go big or go home!”. Even their highly acclaimed “world-famous” (as they say) bathrooms are probably never all in use at once. They’ve created a sense of excessive abundance, an over-the-top profusion of plentifulness. Maybe going all-out with gas-pumps (and each has to be maintained and filled and inspected etc) is to help create that sense of abundance, “harchova” as we say in Hebrew.
Now, this isn’t recommended for everyone and in all situations. It is certainly wise and prudent to budget and be efficient and not wasteful. Often less can be more. Even so, there is a lesson here in (some aspects and situations of) going beyond the norm and expected and recommended, to kick things up a notch and to live and share on an abundant wavelength. Even as a family lives within its means, and sticks to a reasonable budget, its good for the family (especially the children) to feel some expansive limitlessness, and feeling of rich plentifulness in ways that are possible. Same with mitzvah observance, to be expansive, beyond our limitations, infinite-minded, even within our finite world.
(2) The Billboard Build-Up: You might be 500 miles from the nearest Buc-cees and driving in the opposite direction, but you may still encounter a Buccees billboard! Especially within a 100 mile range, the clear, bold, unmistakable signs keep reminding you that a Buc-cees is up ahead. The Buccees experience doesn’t start at the door. It starts long, long before that. They want Buc-cees to cross your mind and be a conversation in the car miles away, even across state lines.
The Talmud tells us to start thinking and learning about the upcoming holidays 30 days prior. There’s much ado in Jewish law about the preparations for a Mitzvah. There’s a beautiful expression: “One who toils on the eve of Shabbat will have what to eat on Shabbat.” And before a Chassidic discourse is recited there’s a fitting introductory melody to help set the mood. Indeed, there’s a Talmudic teaching and a Chassidic tradition to “think Chassidus before prayer” so we’re in the right mindset. And when it comes to education children the Rebbe said no age is too early, indeed, a child’s education begins in the womb. So maybe the Bucc-ees billboards aren’t too far up the road, after all.
(3) Believe in your product, celebrate it! The merch! Which gas-station sells merch like that? And so much of it, from sweatshirts to cutting-boards, holiday decor to everyday utility. There are aisles and aisles of it. There’s even a statute of the Buccee beaver out front! Nearly every cup bears Bucc-ee’s branding. It’s Bucc-ee’s from start to finish, A-Z, in every aspect.
In the summer of 5722/1962 the Rebbe (based on his rich interpretation of a Mishna in Avot Chapter 6) spoke about believing in your product when it comes to marketing anything, including Judaism. Don’t be shy about it. Don’t hide behind protective walls. Take it out to the customer/client, dress up your shop’s windows, advertise it wherever and whenever you can. If you believe in it, if you feel its relevance and marketability, you’ll promote it!
(4) Cheerful Staff Singing: All Bucc-ee’s staff are (trained to be) friendly and hospitable. But none like the fudge or brisket servers! They are dancing and singing away, whether it is 5pm or 5am, which can be jarring or startling to some some bleary-eyed travelers getting out of the car at night. Now, we keep Kosher, so we have never tasted the brisket or fudge, but it is a centerpiece of the store, and you can’t miss the energetic lively cheer emanating from there.
It says in the Mishna and in our morning prayers that the pounding of the incense spices was accompanied by chanting, because the rhythmic sound was helpful. Chassidism encouraged singing in prayer for a richer experience. And as we all know: good cheer and positivity makes everything feel and taste better.
(5) A Beaver’s Environment: Beavers are the spirit animal of Bucc-ee’s, beavers are emblazoned everywhere. My son reminded me that while every animals influences its environment and habitat, beavers are exceptional at this, their busy work can change water patterns, create ponds and lakes, they literally create an environment. Indeed, Buccee’s is not just a place to stop, it’s a whole atmosphere! Similarly, it is said (quoted in HaYomYom) that “A Chassid creates an environment”. It’s not enough for a Chassid to do his/her own thing but the goal is to transform one’s environs, to create atmosphere, to impact, uplift and elevate one’s corner of the world.
PS: One word about Kosher. Generally, the northeast is more likely to have Kosher symbols on products than other parts of the country, and being that Bucc-ee’s private labels lots of their product, there isn’t much Kosher symbols to be found. We still find nosh and nibbles there. One grateful point is for the Kosher Pareve (non-dairy) Kosher certified almond/soy milk, (not always available in travel centers) so we can use that in our coffees.