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This article is about the chain of convenience stores based in Wisconsin. For the chain of convenience stores based in Oklahoma, seeQuikTrip.
Not to be confused withKwik Fill.
Kwik Trip, Inc.
Kwik Trip
(in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan)
Kwik Star
(in Iowa, Illinois, and South Dakota) (with a few exceptions)
Company typePrivate
IndustryRetail
Founded1965(59 years ago)(1965)inEau Claire, Wisconsin
FounderJohn Hansen, Don Zietlow
HeadquartersLa Crosse, Wisconsin
Number of locations
878 (Jul. 2024)[1]
Area served
Key people
  • Scott Zietlow(CEO)
  • Tom Reinhart(COO)
  • Jeff Wrobel(CFO)
[3][4]
Products
  • Coffee
  • Hoagies
  • Prepared foods
  • Gasoline
  • Beverages
  • Snacks
  • Dairy products
  • Salads
Services
OwnerZietlow Family
Number of employees
36,457 (2024)[5]
Websitewww.kwiktrip
Map ofKwik Trip, Inc.'sbrand's locations, as of December 2020

Kwik Tripis a chain of convenience stores founded in 1965[6]that has locations throughoutWisconsin,Minnesota,and theUpper PeninsulaofMichiganunder the name Kwik Trip, and inIllinois,Iowa,andSouth Dakota[7]under the nameKwik Star(to avoid confusion withQuikTrip), although the Dixon, Illinois, location operates asKwik Trip.The company also operates stores under the nameTobacco Outlet Plus,Tobacco Outlet Plus Grocery,Hearty Platter,Kwik Spirits, andStop-N-Go.Kwik Trip, Inc. is a privately held company headquartered inLa Crosse, Wisconsin.[8]

Unlike many other convenience store chains, Kwik Trip is a food service leader; the company isvertically integratedacross most of its product lines. Until May 2024, it carriedbagged milk and orange juicein pouches under the Nature's Touch brand via its in-house dairy.[9]Kwik Trip also has an internal bakery operation that provides bread, doughnuts, and muffin products to its stores, along with a store-brand snack line called "Urge!". The company maintains branding partnerships with several Upper Midwest professional sports teams, including Minnesota'sTwins,Vikings,andWildand Wisconsin'sGreen Bay Packers,Milwaukee Brewers,andMilwaukee Bucks(the last featured as part of itschocolate milkline).

All locations have small grocery sections selling basic fruits, bread, canned food, frozen food, sliced cheeses, and ice cream, along with traditional convenience store food such as bottled drinks and hot dogs. Notably, the chain has sold bananas, baking potatoes, and yellow onions for 39 cents per pound as aloss leader,along with fresh beef, hot dogs, bratwurst, and chicken. All stores also have heated and ready-to-eat food, and will cook food to order off a small menu. In 2018, the company acquired the south-central Wisconsin chainPDQ,which offered fresh fried chicken; the PDQ recipe and chicken was slowly rolled out to select stores before being available at most.[10]The next year, Kwik Trip began to offer home delivery of hot food in select markets through a partnership withEatStreet.

Stores off major highway exits operate as full servicetruck stops,with dual-pump fuel islands. Many of the truck stop locations also have overnight parking, showers, and full-serviceDenny'srestaurants. Automaticcar washesare also available at many stores, with some restrictions on availability and hours due to local noise and environmental ordinances.

History

[edit]
Kwik Star store

Kwik Trip was founded in 1965 by the Hansen and Zietlow families inEau Claire, Wisconsin.Over the next several years they added new locations surrounding Eau Claire.

The first La Crosse location opened in 1971, and in 1973, they built a distribution center and moved the headquarters to La Crosse. In the late 1970s and 1980s, Kwik Trip saw an influx in company growth; it expanded its corporate offices three times, the distribution center twice, and in 1986 it hit the 100-store mark.[11]

In 1993, Kwik Trip opened its first location inIowaunder the name Kwik Star, and in 1997, its first retail car wash, which soon became a staple for the brand.[11]In 1999, Kwik Trip merged its petroleum, grocery, fresh delivery, and fleet maintenance departments to form its own transportation subsidiary,Convenience Transportation, LLC.[12]

In 2000, the Zietlow family became the sole owner of Kwik Trip, Inc. The early 2000s also saw Kwik Trip's expansion on its grab-and-go food offerings, including the introduction of Glazers Donuts, the Hot Spot hot food program, and fresh food such as salads, produce, and sandwiches. By 2016, the chain had over 500 stores, all privately owned.[11]In 2017, it acquired the chainPDQ,and in 2020, it acquired Stop–N–Go.[13]On December 8, 2020, the first Kwik Star location opened inIllinois,a former Stop-N-Go store inRochelle.

Previous logo

In 2021, plans were announced for new stores inBrandon, South Dakota,Sioux Falls, South Dakota,andHarrisburg, South Dakota,under the Kwik Star name. These will be the company's first locations inSouth Dakota.Additional stores are expected to open in theSioux Fallsarea.[14]

On September 14, 2022, the company opened its firstMichiganlocation inIronwood,[15]soon followed by one inBessemer.

On January 1, 2023, Kwik Trip CEO Don Zietlow retired to take care of his wife. His son, formerMayo Clinictrauma surgeon Scott Zietlow, succeeded him as president and CEO.

On September 21, 2023, Kwik Trip opened its first Kwik Star location in South Dakota inBrandon,with five more openings expected by the end of 2023.[needs update]There are also plans for more locations in northernSioux Falls,another inHarrisburg,and one near the future interchange betweenInterstate 29and 85th Street. Another Kwik Star is expected to open inBrookings.[16][17]

Brands

[edit]

Karuba

[edit]

A brand of in-store coffee that offers a variety of roasts ready to pour or to take home as pre-ground coffee bags. Kwik Trip also offers Karuba Gold, a line of specialty espresso drinks made-to-order by an automatic coffee machine.[18]

Kitchen Cravings

[edit]

A brand of in-store food including prepackaged salads, sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, pizza, and Hot Spot food items. The brand also sells fresh steak and ground beef, and relabels fresh bratwursts, hot dogs, and sausages produced by Bakalars Sausage Co. under this name.[19]

Kwikery Bake Shop

[edit]

A brand of baked goods produced by Kwik Trip's bakery, including its popular Glazers donuts. The offerings include muffins, donuts, bagels, cookies, and a variety of sliced breads and buns.[20]

Nature's Touch

[edit]

A brand of bottled water, juice, eggs, and dairy products. The dairy products are produced at Kwik Trip's milk processing plant and include butter, ice cream, and milk.[21]

Urge

[edit]

A snack brand encompassing potato chips, bagged candy, bagged salty snacks, and beef jerky.[22]

Store operations

[edit]

Kwik Trip stores employ a mixture of full-time, overtime and part-time employees. In addition to a store leader, each store employs an assistant store leader and three to five guest service leaders. These employees are responsible for overseeing store operations when the store leader is out of the store. Additionally, each store has a food service leader and assistant food service leader responsible for overseeing the store's hot food program, ensuring that appropriate amounts of food are made and sold, and ensuring that the program continues to grow according to company expectations. District leaders supervise multiple stores in a given region, and zone leaders supervise multiple districts.[citation needed]

[edit]

Workplace honors

[edit]
Kwik Trip sign at Mauston, Wisconsin
Kwik Trip refueling station at their headquarters

In 2011, TheMilwaukee Journal Sentinelnamed Kwik Trip the number one large workplace (over 500 employees) for workers in Southeastern Wisconsin. Kwik Trip beat outMortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation(MGIC) for the first spot.

In 2018,Convenience Store Decisionshonored Kwik Trip as the 2018Convenience StoreChain of the Year.[23]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Kwik Trip store list".RetrievedJuly 22,2024.
  2. ^Hjelmstad, Gretchen (October 27, 2023)."Kwik Trip coming to Fargo".Valley News Live.RetrievedApril 4,2024.
  3. ^"Mayo Clinic surgeon takes his father's place as Kwik Trip's new CEO".RetrievedAugust 24,2023.
  4. ^"Kwik Trip announces leadership changes; CEO, President of 22 years to retire".KAAL TV.November 21, 2022.RetrievedApril 4,2024.
  5. ^"Kwik Trip/Kwik Star".Forbes.RetrievedApril 4,2024.
  6. ^"From the start, we've focused on doing right by our customers and our community".Kwik Trip.RetrievedNovember 22,2018.
  7. ^"South Dakota".Kwik Trip | Kwik Star.Retrieved2023-08-17.
  8. ^Cahalan, Steve (4 May 2008)."Kwik Trip is still family-owned and still growing".La Crosse Tribune.Retrieved2015-12-14.
  9. ^Johnson, Brooks (2024-03-27)."Kwik Trip discontinuing beloved bagged milk this spring".startribune.Retrieved2024-09-13.
  10. ^Adams, Barry (15 April 2019)."A juggernaut of convenience: Kwik Trip continues its rapid expansion".Wisconsin State Journal.Retrieved25 August2019.
  11. ^abc"History".Kwik Trip | Kwik Star.Retrieved2020-10-09.
  12. ^"Convenience Transportation > What Is CT About".shop.kwiktrip.Retrieved2020-12-02.
  13. ^Johnson, Neil (29 July 2020)."Kwik Trip acquiring Stop-N-Go stores, including four in Janesville".GazetteXtra.Retrieved2020-10-09.
  14. ^"Kwik Trip picks site for first C-store in South Dakota".12 November 2021.
  15. ^"First Kwik Trip in UP opens in Ironwood".Upper Michigan's Source.15 September 2022.Retrieved2023-07-20.
  16. ^"Sioux Falls area's first Kwik Star ready to open".21 September 2023.
  17. ^"Project approved: 85th Street interchange gets go-ahead to start construction".21 September 2023.
  18. ^"Kwik Trip".CSP Daily News.Retrieved2020-12-02.
  19. ^TIGHE, MIKE (16 May 2014)."Kwik Trip aims to fill grills with fresh meat offerings".La Crosse Tribune.Retrieved2020-12-02.
  20. ^"Selling Bakery Concepts".CStore Decisions.2018-07-27.Retrieved2020-12-02.
  21. ^"Kwik Trip Dairy".Wisconsin Cheese.RetrievedDecember 1,2020.
  22. ^https:// kwiktrip /urge[bare URL]
  23. ^Del Conte, Erin (October 9, 2018)."Kwik Trip Honored as 2018 Chain of the Year".
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