kwik trip grocery store

Join the QT Family! Apply for Available Positions

QT SAFE PLACE SITES

Need a safe place learn more.

Latest News

1000 stores and counting.

Made to Order / Grab N Go

Beef Brisket BBQ Sandwich

Frozen Treats

Lunch/Dinner

3 Meat Stack

Black Forest ham, roast beef, smoked turkey and cheddar cheese topped with lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, and deli mustard.

Ham, Egg & Cheese Biscuit

Black Forest ham, buttery egg and your choice of cheese on a giant buttermilk biscuit.

Order from anywhere with the QT Mobile App!

I # quiktrip

Find your store.

We are always expanding and opening new locations. Find a QuikTrip near you!

'See ya next time': How a neighborhood grocery store grew into today's Kwik Trip phenomenon

What's so special about kwik trip, and why do so many people love this midwestern gas station and convenience store.

Design by Brooke Eberle, producer, Wisconsin Digital Optimization Team

There’s nothing more Wisconsin than a Kwik Trip. 

That is, until you take a look at the fan base and following that turned a convenience store into a phenomenon.

Fifty-seven years after the first Kwik Trip opened in Eau Claire, Kwik Trip has grown from that one neighborhood grocery store to a statewide obsession with its own personality across social media platforms.

The company has  Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , TikTok , YouTube and Snapchat  accounts. It even has a Spotify  account with more than 130 followers who can listen to the company’s "Kwik Trip Checkout" or "Chicken Jammies" public playlists. 

There are multiple fan groups on Facebook, including Wisconsin Kwik Trip Enthusiast Club, Kwik Trip Enthusiasts Club, and even a Kwik Trip Missed Connections group. Some fans have had photo shoots, even on their wedding days, at a Kwik Trip. It has become more than a store; it's a vibe.

The Wisconsin Kwik Trip Enthusiast Club, for example, was created two years ago and is not affiliated with the company. It has more than 94,000 members and dozens of posts daily, ranging from photos of favorite Kwik Trip treats, questions, memes and more.

So, how did Kwik Trip grow into a Midwestern phenomenon with a social media influencer status?

RELATED:  This Kwik Trip super fan made it her 2021 goal to visit Wisconsin's 457 Kwik Trips. She did it.

RELATED:  Valentine's Day: Check out these super Wisconsin love stories, from a Kwik Trip wedding photo shoot to brewery ceremonies

Keeping up with the Kwik Trips

Kendra Lasack, Kwik Trip’s digital content supervisor, said social media platforms have allowed the Kwik Trip team to bring the brand to life.

“It’s incredible how much we’re able to learn from our fans every day, just by engaging and listening to the conversations on social,” she said.

Lasack said the company has shifted its digital marketing strategy from focusing on the products to focusing on the people and developing a brand voice to bring a more human level to the company’s content. 

She said the company's success on social media reflects Kwik Trip’s mission to treat others as they would like to be treated. The team listens, takes time to reply and has fun with its followers.

And people have responded. Members of the social media fan groups talk about the company, highlight their favorite products, post original memes and share Kwik Trip’s content.

When USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin asked members of the Wisconsin Kwik Trip Enthusiast Club Facebook group what they like most about Kwik Trip, more than 400 people responded, including dozens of employees who are part of the group.

Their answers ranged from clean bathrooms to the food options and how friendly the employees are. Many like the "see ya next time" farewell as they leave a store. Fans from other states said they stock up on Kwik Trip goodies while they're in the area, as they can't find anything like it anywhere else.

Carrie Marie is from Yorkville, Illinois and travels to Friendship often. When she and her family are in Wisconsin, her two teenage boys have to stop at Kwik Trip twice a day, every day. She said her family has Kwik Trip hoodies and three Big Buddy cups in case they cross the border unexpectedly. Her children receive Kwik Trip gas cards from their grandparents.

They make you feel like a person in there and not just another customer.

Jaimee Arnold from Appleton said she loves Kwik Trip because of the company's high standards for cleanliness, someone is always willing to help, and guests can find a wide variety of "grab and go" options for whatever they're craving.

"They make you feel like a person in there and not just another customer," she said.

Emily Jean Weger from Watertown said she's been going to a Kwik Trip store since she was little, and now she takes her kids to the same store.

"There are employees who've been there the whole time and say 'I remember your mom when she was your age and smaller,'" she said. "That makes Kwik Trip a special place to me."

Take a Kwik scroll online

Fans also love the company's social media presence.

"Their social media person is phenomenal," said Kwik Trip fan Leah McDonald from Waukesha. "Really connects with the consumers."

Recently, when Kwik Trip ran out of coffee cups, the brand took to social media, saying another gas station took the cups . The problem was later explained as a supply chain issue . In lieu of disposable cups, Kwik Trip encouraged guests to bring their own cups for a 99-cent refill of any size, suggesting dozens of options ranging from a wheelbarrow, blender and fish bowl to a toilet plunger, Dumbledore's hat and a gas can.

The post was shared more than 17,000 times and collected more than 18,000 reactions and 3,700 comments.

"Great way to make lemonade from lemons," Christine Garchow from Portage commented on the post. "Thanks Kwik Trip!"

Wilson the volleyball and Forrest Gump's chocolate box both made the list, prompting a comment from Jimmie Kaska from Cadott:

"Did Tom Hanks steal the cups? Is that why we're using his volleyball and chocolate box to load up on coffee?"

Kwik Trip responded with a Tom Hanks gif.

Three days later, Kwik Trip posted a follow-up post to clarify some additional details.

"We didn't expect a post about cups to go viral," the post was captioned .

One of the frequently-asked questions was how long the refill deal would last.

"(I don't know) I just do social media," the answer stated. "At least a few weeks ... our cup guy is doing his best."

As to whether people could really bring in a wheelbarrow, the answer is no.

"Please no," said the follow-up, posted the day after the Super Bowl. "We know the initial post was a bit ridiculous, but it was cheaper than a commercial spot during the football game last night. Feel free to get creative with your mug, just make sure it's clean and safe for hot liquid. Also, let's not waste ... if you pour, you better drink."

Paige Forde, Kwik Trip’s social media specialist, said interacting with followers is extremely important to Kwik Trip.

“We love making our fans know they’re being heard, whether that means sharing their content, interacting with them, or passing these social listening trends forward to the appropriate department,” she said.

Some fans have captured their love of Kwik Trip on their wedding day, holding photo shoots both outside and inside of a store.

“We absolutely love seeing this content,” Forde said. “It’s incredible that so many of our loyal guests take the time to make a special ‘photo op’ trip to our stores during such a special day.”

Other interactions have included fans sending unusual direct messages to Kwik Trip’s social media accounts, and sometimes those fans screenshot the messages and share them.

Forde said those interactions provide opportunities for content, and they’re great ways to engage fans.

“The majority of the time, we go along with it,” Forde said. “I mean, it isn’t too often you can (direct message) a brand something obscure and they take the time to respond. It’s fun, it’s personal, and definitely gets people talking.”

It all started with one store

Kwik Trip started as a neighborhood grocery store, opening its first location in 1965 in Eau Claire. The second store opened in La Crosse in 1971.

“It was a humble beginning with painted letters cut out of plywood,” Kwik Trip owner Don Zietlow said. “These were all neighborhood grocery stores, and none of them sold fuel.”

The company opened a corporate office in La Crosse in 1973, and, by 1986, it had grown to 100 stores. Kwik Trip opened its 800th store in December and, according to the Wisconsin Technology Council, has nearly $7 billion in annual sales.

The success Kwik Trip found over the years has not been by accident. Zietlow, who is still the company's president and CEO, points to two main ingredients that contributed to Kwik Trip’s success: the right people and the ability to have products that guests want and are looking for and being able to offer them at a good deal.

Zietlow said Kwik Trip is able to offer quality products at good prices because of the company’s “vertical integration.” The company’s Glazer doughnuts, for example, are made in Kwik Trip’s own bakery, they’re shipped on Kwik Trip’s trucks, and they’re sold in Kwik Trip stores.

Be our guest

Zietlow said Kwik Trip’s employees set the company apart from the competition.

“People are our number one asset," he said. "There’s more to a job than pay. You need to feel like you are making a difference. That’s our mission, and that’s what our coworkers do every day.”

There’s more to a job than pay. You need to feel like you are making a difference. That’s our mission, and that’s what our coworkers do every day.

In the middle of a pandemic and worker shortages, many companies have had a hard time finding and retaining employees, but Kwik Trip hasn’t felt those hardships as much as some other businesses. Zietlow said the company and family is committed to their coworkers, and Kwik Trip shares 40% of its pre-tax profits.

And employees have felt that sentiment, saying they feel valued and respected at their jobs.

Kwik Trip employee Keith DeLabio from Kenosha said in the Wisconsin Kwik Trip Enthusiast Club Facebook group that he appreciates the 40% profit share, and that Zietlow calls his employees his coworkers and wears a Kwik Trip uniform every day instead of a suit and tie.

Denise Royea from Oconomowoc said the company treats all of its coworkers as family, and they're open with them about all of the ins and outs of the company, from where new stores will open to the the company's faults and areas for improvement. She said between informative meetings and employee programs, no one gets left behind.

“Our coworkers earn every penny,” Zietlow said. “We can’t thank them enough for the hard work they do, day in and day out.”

Michael James Luckow from Manitowoc said when he was first hired at Kwik Trip, the company told him people aren't customers, they're guests. While it was a strange concept at first, he quickly understood the distinction.

"They are guests in our store, and we take pride in them having a great experience, just as anyone would having guests over the holidays," he said.

Customer Coryn Burette from New London said Kwik Trip always has the nicest employees, even the ones working overnight shifts.

"They go above and beyond to make my visit nice and wonderful," she said.

Hunter Karraker from Shawano said a Kwik Trip employee knew she was pregnant before she did, after she had gone in for shakes every night for a week. Karraker said she told the employee she had been craving them, and the employee asked if she was pregnant.

"I got a test and sure enough, it came back positive," she said.

She said the workers began to recognize her, and when they would see her come in, they'd make sure there was fresh food out for her on the hot spot, a display where customers can find breakfast sandwiches, pizza slices and other warm food options that are ready to eat. Now that Karraker has had her baby, she said an employee asked her how they were doing.

"They definitely make me feel special," she said. "Kwik Trip is the best."

Some people love Kwik Trip so much, it becomes a birthday theme. Mitzie Murdock Klozotsky told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin she owns a custom baking business in Kaukauna, and a customer recently ordered a  Kwik Trip cake for a 40th birthday .

"Needless to say, Kwik Trip has a following unlike anything else when a milestone like a 40th birthday is celebrated with a Kwik Trip themed cake," she said.

Midwest is best

One of the most relatable parts of Kwik Trip is its roots in the Midwest.

“The majority of our content is based around what people think about our brand and relatable Midwest situations,” Forde said.

So, when there's a chance to merge some Midwest personalities, Kwik Trip is on it. The list of projects the Kwik Trip team works on is never-ending, and there are always new challenges that the team brainstorms in meetings.

Some of those projects have included partnerships through a brand ambassador program Kwik Trip started in 2019. Kwik Trip has worked with a few Midwest social media personalities like comedian Charlie Berens and Green Bay Packers players Rashan Gary and Kurt Benkert.

In 2020, Kwik Trip's team started brainstorming ideas to promote the company's Fresh Blends menu of smoothies, frozen lemonades, refreshers, iced coffees, cold brew coffee and shakes. In November, the company partnered with Berens and premiered a Berens Alexander on a "secret menu." It's a combination of caramel, chocolate, cream and cold brew.

“We’ve had the opportunity to work with truly amazing, authentic and talented people through this initiative and look forward to growing this network to reach even more unique audiences,” Forde said.

Kwik Trip is an influencer offline, too

The company is also committed to helping the communities it calls home. Kwik Trip donates to various community organizations and efforts, and it sponsors youth sports teams, large events and more. It also helps groups with fundraising options like car washes and scrip gift cards and more. It even encourages grade school students to read more with Kwik Book, a program that offers a free slice of pizza or a garden salad for each student who reaches a reading goal set by their teacher.

Many fans on Facebook said their favorite thing about the company was the donations and efforts to help people in need.

Chelsea Hall from Janesville said when she lost everything in a house fire two years ago, someone submitted her name for a donation program through Kwik Trip in Milton. She said it wasn't a lot, but every little bit made a huge difference.

"They support Special Olympics and are at almost every state tournament handing out water, Gatorade, fruit and cookies," said Sue Weber Dushek from Milwaukee. "The interaction between the employees and the athletes is an amazing thing to watch."

Gail Marie Benedict from Loyal said Kwik Trip came to her small town when the community had lost its grocery store, and Kwik Trip filled that gap, helped the community and brought jobs to the area.

Kwik Trip has filled community needs, too, especially in smaller areas with less access to grocery stores and other food options. Many fans said their Kwik Trip serves as their grocery store. Some said Kwik Trip opened in their area and filled a need when a grocery store had closed.

Kay Grosinske, who now lives in Texas, said while she misses Kwik Trip, she regularly visits the store when she's back home visiting family. She said her hometown got two new stores recently, and the company has donated a lot of food to the local community help center.

"Those donations alone spread a lot of love," she said.

Where do Kwik Trips come from?

Have you ever wondered how a Kwik Trip is born?

Dax Connely, Kwik Trip's real estate manager, said the company's real estate team chooses new locations based on an area’s population, traffic volume near a site and its accessibility, and more. The company is always looking to open in new markets throughout Wisconsin, he said.

The look of a Kwik Trip varies. Some are built from the ground up. Others have evolved from other stores. Connely said Kwik Trip has many stores that the company acquired over the years that don’t look like the typical Kwik Trip, but the company’s goal is to have its sites look similar. Locations may have their own uniqueness because of the landscape or land size, however, he said.

The newest Kwik Trip stores look a bit different than the long-standing sites. Connely said the  “Generation 3” stores have a new color schemes are larger at 9,000 square feet, and have more of a small grocery feel.

Kwik Trip has plans to grow, both inside and outside of Wisconsin. Connely said the company has plans to extend into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and also into the eastern edges of North and South Dakota in a couple of years.

When it comes to expansion plans, Kwik Trip fans approve.

"I just think Kwik Trip is the finest chain of gas stations in the entire United States of America," said customer Andrea Tamara from Sheboygan.

Contact Caitlin at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @CaitlinShuda .

Is Kwik Trip a good grocery store alternative? For some items, yes. Here's how prices compare

With just over 500 locations throughout the state, Kwik Trip is quickly securing its place as a neighborhood grocery and convenience store.

Beyond its usual gas station fare, the chain is known for its fresh fruit and other staple grocery items. But how do the prices compare to those of a typical grocery store?

Using a list of grocery items we have used in previous grocery price comparison stories, we compared what items we could find at Kwik Trip to those at Walmart and Pick 'n Save , prioritizing store brand prices where possible.

Our full grocery list includes: half a gallon of almond milk, a loaf of whole wheat bread, one pound of bacon, one pound of bananas, one pound of 80/20 ground beef, a four-pack of butter, standard box of Cheerios, standard box of Cheez-Its, a dozen eggs, a five pound bag of flour, canned green beans, 18 ounces of strawberry jam, 18 ounces of peanut butter, a head of iceberg lettuce, a gallon of milk, individual naval oranges, a two-pack of paper towels and a six-pack of toilet paper.

In the past, Triscuits were included in the list, but were not for this story because of a lack of store brand alternatives.

How much have grocery prices increased this year?

Although we are only two months into the new year, talk about grocery prices, more specifically eggs , has been a popular discussion among Wisconsinites.

In a November grocery price comparison story, we looked at the total cost of our shopping basket at Walmart, prioritizing Walmart's store brand, Great Value.

The sum of the list, which included items like whole milk, eggs, bread, bacon, toilet paper and more, totaled $46.05, after removing the cost of Triscuits from the list. This month, that same list totaled $48.48.

While the price of eggs has been a popular topic recently, the cost of a dozen Great Value eggs actually dropped from $3.26 in November to $2.87.

Great Value butter and store brand ground beef were the highest-cost food items on the list, at $4.48 for butter and $4.36 for 80/20 ground beef. The highest priced item on the list overall was the six-pack of toilet paper at $7.92.

In July 2022, we visited Pick 'n Save with the same grocery list to compare the cost of groceries from name brand to their store brands.

The total cost of the store brand items on the list in July 2022 equaled $53.42, minus the price of Triscuits. Visiting the store this year, the total cost of store brand items came to $56.60.

A dozen store brand eggs at Pick 'n Save cost $4.69 and the most expensive item on the list was also a six-pack of toilet paper at $7.49.

For both Walmart and Pick 'n Save, the total cost of the grocery list increased slightly from the previous year by only $2 to $3.

Is Kwik Trip better for convenience or price?

With Kwik Trip's decently sized grocery options, including produce and hot and cold take-home meals, many visit the gas station/convenience store for items they might not want to travel to a full grocery store to get.

The chain carried most of the items on our grocery list, with the exception of oranges, canned green beans, full-sized Cheerios and Cheez-Its. It also offers its own store brand alternatives for majority of the items, besides almond milk, flour, peanut butter and jelly.

With the missing items and name brand alternatives taken into consideration, the cost of our shopping list totaled $50.56.

If you were to visit Walmart for the items that Kwik Trip did not carry, the total would be $55.98.

While this price was less than Pick 'n Save's total, Walmart still holds the cheapest total.

Kwik Trip's eggs were $3.99, and the most expensive item on our list was their store brand bacon at $4.99. While it doesn't offer a six-pack of toilet paper, it does have a four-pack alternative for $3.69. This means you're paying about $0.92 per roll, compared to $1.24 per roll at Pick n' Save and $1.32 per roll at Walmart.

While some of the items were cheaper at Kwik Trip than at the other stores, like butter, ground beef and eggs, other items seemed to be double the price than at a grocery store, like peanut butter, jelly, and almond milk.

Kwik Trip customers might sacrifice the cost of some of these items for the convenience of being nearby one of the many locations. There are exactly 501 Kwik Trip locations throughout the state, meaning many don't have to travel far before they find a store, and many cities have more than one.

When asked about its pricing strategies, Kwik Trip declined to comment.

More: From Christmas trees to conjoined food, Wisconsin collectors find joy in hunt for unique items

More: Venice Williams hopes to evoke feelings of nostalgia at her Black History Month sweet potato pie contest

Reach Jelissa Burns at 920-226-4241 or  [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter at  @burns_jelissa  or on Instagram at  burns_jelissa .

How a DIY business strategy led to Kwik Trip's explosive growth. 11.5 million people visit the stores every week.

If customers look hard enough, they'll find a tiny Easter egg on each bottle of milk at their local Kwik Trip.

It's a small, hard to see smiley face, a reproduction of a drawing that former President and CEO Don Zietlow drew during annual meetings when he announced the company's year-end results, future goals and the amount employees would receive through the company's profit sharing program. It also appears on bottles of tea, juice and other drinks.

The smiley face is a nod to Zietlow, who retired in 2022 , and to the company's employee-focused culture. But it's also an add-on that's only possible because of a business strategy Zietlow introduced more than two decades ago and continues to underpin the company's rapid growth.

Get daily updates on the Packers during the season.

Known as vertical integration, it's a do-it-yourself strategy of controlling as much of the production, warehousing, distribution and sales as you can. In Kwik Trip's case, that's grown from a small bakery at the back of an early store to a production and distribution network that extends across six states from Kwik Trip's sprawling La Crosse campus.

The La Crosse operation includes a dairy, a bread bakery, a sweets bakery, a commissary that makes all of the chain's hot food items and salads, warehousing and a distribution center, food safety and quality assurance labs, offices, a call center and other backroom functions. It all operates seamlessly to send custom ordered shipments six days a week to 872 convenience stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota and Michigan.

One of the benefits of doing all of that food preparation and packaging in house: the dairy operation also makes its own plastic bottles, which allowed Kwik Trip to easily add Zietlow's smiley face.

"Don asked people to smile at every guest and ask them to come back. So he started drawing smiley faces on stage and that kind of became his signature, his trademark, the early part of his personal brand," said Carl Rick, Kwik Trip's training manager and a third-generation owner of the business.

A changing convenience-store business needed a new model

Kwik Trip began making sandwiches for its stores in the back room of a La Crosse location in the 1970s, and it bought a small dairy in Caledonia, Minnesota in 1981. The full embrace of vertical integration didn't really come until 2000, said John McHugh, Kwik Trip's vice president of external relations.

That's the year that Zietlow concluded the exiting model for convenience stores, based on sales of cigarettes, snacks, gasoline and household staples sold at "insult prices," wasn't a recipe for long-term success. Instead, McHugh said, Zietlow decided to focus on in-house food and drink production and cutting out the middle man as a way to overcome two traditional barriers to growing a convenience store business: cost and freshness.

"If you're having a third party deliver that loaf of bread and you're only doing a handful of loaves in a traditional convenience store, you have to charge so much for that loaf of bread to make it worthwhile that, in our industry, we have something called insult pricing – we have it and you need it, we're convenient, and you're gonna pay through the nose to get it," McHugh said.

Controlling production, storage and transportation reduces those costs and puts Kwik Trip prices on equal footing with grocery stores.

It also helps ensure freshness and food safety. In the case of milk, that means 24 hours from the dairy to the store shelf. For the company's signature Glazers donuts, it means delivery the same day they're made.

The result: customers know that they can get consistently fresh food items at a competitive price.

"Don knew that for us to be successful in our business model, you had to beat everybody on price, and you had to beat everybody on freshness, and that's where the vertical integration model comes in," McHugh said.

The success of the model can be seen in the shopping trends of Kwik Trip's 11.5 million weekly customers, he said.

"What happens now is, especially if you look at some of our small and rural markets, from 1 in the afternoon until 4, the demographic is people in their late 70s and 80s with grocery carts in our stores buying eggs, milk, butter, bread, onions, kind of thing," McHugh said. "People are just coming here for their their basic commodities."

The company does not make its annual sales public. However its profit sharing plan provides a glimpse into the its finances. Last year employees received about $200 million as their 40% share of Kwik Trip's pre-tax profit, which puts the company's annual profit at about $500 million.

Nearly 8,000 employees keep Kwik Trip stores stocked and the business humming

What began as a small food production operation in what is now the company's training center has grown to take up most of the company's sprawling 140 acre campus. Much of that growth has occured since 2017, when the company first tapped Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Enterprise Zone tax incentives to fuel its expansion.

Since then, the company has spent more than $325 million to expand the operation and created nearly 1,800 new, full-time jobs, according to WEDC records.

WEDC Secretary Missy Hughes said that growth is all the more impressive because the company has maintained its employees-first focus and even doubled down by providing on-site child care and a health clinic in La Crosse.

"They're a model Wisconsin company, and their decision to continue to expand here is just a huge win for us," Hughes said.

Today, the La Crosse workforce includes:

• 700 production employees in the kitchen, also known as the commissary, who produce pizza, burritos, salads and take-home meals.
• 150 dairy workers who pasteurize and homogenize milk, package it and make ice cream.
• 320 people who make doughnuts on two lines: one dedicated to Glazers in the morning and Dunkers in the afternoon, the other focused on Bismarks and Long Johns, cookies, cinnamon rolls and other sweet treats.
• 117 workers in the bread and roll bakery.
• 600 drivers who handle deliveries to retail locations with a fleet of 350 tractors and 250 trailers.

Kwik Trip's plan for continued growth and expansion

The seamless system that gets products to the stores' shelves is a product of 20 years of growth, experimentation and learning, one that company leaders acknowledge would be hard to reproduce today.

"This whole process grew organically," McHugh said. "To re-establish our140-acre campus with everything that we have here, someplace else in the Midwest, would be cost prohibitive."

Kwik trip has more than doubled its retail stores in the past decade and keeping up with that growth required continued investment in all of the behind-the-scenes support operations.

The company recently announced plans to spend another $151 million to support its plan to continue to add about 50 new stores a year.

That includes a recently completed expansion of Kwik Trip's burrito production line to make up to 90,000 burritos a day, a new 40-foot production line for Dunkers and cake doughnuts and additional packaging automation in the sweets bakery and a cooler expansion in the dairy.

For the first time, Kwik Trip will move some of the La Crosse operation off campus by building a new distribution center in De Forest and renovating an office building in Onalaska that the company recently bought.

The office building will house training, accounting and operations support, including a 24/7 help line for the stores, which in turn frees up more space for other overcrowded office functions. In time, the current training center will likely be torn down for an expansion of the dairy, McHugh said.

That expansion is being aided by an additional $15 million in tax credits from WEDC. The credits are tied to completing the $151 million investment and creating more than 500 new jobs by 2027.

"What I love is Kwik Trip's commitment to Wisconsin and the Midwest. They clearly have confidence that they can continue to grow," Hughes said.

The De Forest distribution center will help Kwik Trip better support its stores in southeastern Wisconsin, McHugh said. The company plans to eventually set up two additional distribution centers to better serve Kwik Trip's retail expansion. Likely locations are in western Wisconsin near Twin Cities and in Iowa, he said.

"We think we can double our footprint of stores and still be able to service it with this campus and the satellite distribution centers, but after that I think we're going to have to start thinking about other logistic concerns," McHugh said. "First, maybe you do a dairy or a bakery - you can't just replicate this campus."

Tapping automation increases efficiency without cutting workforce

Automation has helped the company expand production, while the company's growth has ensured that the efficiencies robotics bring don't cost employees their jobs.

"We're going to spend a lot of money on automation in years to come not to create jobs, but to free up those people to do jobs that we need people to do," Rick said. "Nobody's going to get fired because the robot's doing a job. We're taking those manual jobs, those highly repetitive jobs, and we're going to use robots for that. And that frees people up to do more, a different line of work."

Keeping the existing workforce is critical for a company expects to hire 500 more workers in a competitive regional labor market. Opportunities for career advancement and personal growth, and the company's commitment to sharing its profit with with employees has resulted in annual employee turnover of about 30%, far below the industry average, and is a key to attracting new workers, Rick said.

"When you go back to when Don was very first starting in business in the '50s and '60s, we were a major manufacturing community and Don watched friends, he watched family, he watched people lose jobs, because those facilities were bought, sold and had those jobs left La Crosse and never came back," Rick said. "And, so, one of the reasons we're committed to owning and growing the business going forward is we want to provide that long term stability for our co-workers and for the communities that we call home."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How a DIY business strategy led to Kwik Trip's explosive growth. 11.5 million people visit the stores every week.

Kwik Rewards 17+

Kwik trip inc.

• 4.8 • 231.2K Ratings

iPhone Screenshots

Description.

Free rewards just for shopping at Kwik Trip or Kwik Star! Download the app to start saving today on every purchase with the Kwik Rewards app! Scan your digital card through the app to start earning: Free Food & Merchandise Each visit gets you closer to your 15th visit free reward! Discounts on Fuel Get cents off fuel discounts when buying qualifying in-store items. Digital Punchcards Use your rewards card to track and earn rewards on the items you buy most. Exclusive Coupons Add coupons to your card, discounts apply automatically after the transactions has completed.

Version 3.27

• This maintenance release includes improvements to user experience and performance throughout the app.

Ratings and Reviews

231.2K Ratings

HOW CAN YOU LOVE A GAS STATION?

Right - it’s generally like a ‘63 Chevy on a -15 day in January. Yes, a non-starter. Not even a possibility. But Kwik Trip is not your ordinary pull in and gas up and getaway place. If you don’t develop a strong desire for the Cinnamon Rolls or the Great Cream Dream Dunkers you probably can’t ever get by the Captcha “I’m not a Robot” tests. And even more addictive are the 2 or3 piece baked chicken pieces. I can feel my car pulling in all on its own whenever I drive near a KT - so I have a hard time choosing a route where I don’t have to fight the steering wheel. I’m sure if Col. Sanders had lived, he’d prefer the KT chicken to any bucket of his own. He knew good chicken and KT might have send him down a whole different cuisine cruise. Anyone for K Fried Gator? Then there’s also the whole range of stuffed breakfast buns and biscuits and croissants, and hot cheesy sticks and - not to mention lunch options. And yes, even the gas is good. Real good. Top tier s by tuff. My cars all like it, even the fancy German one that demands “Premium” . Made me feel good when I saw a guy in a McLaren filling up one day. (And I swear he walked out with a box of Dunkers too!) Anyway / to answer my question - Yes, it IS possible. Actually - it’s LIKELY once you pull in and try one. If that scares you - well that’s OK. Just keep going to those places that specialize in air fresheners and 25cent air machines. See you next time?

I love that there are many Kwik trips near me and when I am traveling in the Midwest. Here are some of my favorite things. First, I love that I can buy quick or Kwik grocery items without going to a grocery store. If I stop to get gas on my way home and need some item to make dinner, it’s easy. If I don’t feel like making dinner there are options for that. Although I’ve never done this, my friend calls ahead and has hot food or pizza made for pickup. Second, I am very judgy about clean bathrooms and Kwik trip always has clean ones or an option to notify staff if there is an issue. Third, free air. That is so thoughtful in my opinion. It makes me more loyal to Kwik trip because they are there for me when my car signals low tire pressure. It’s a brilliant way to have people stop at a Kwik trip. Kudos to the person who thought of that. Finally, I love how friendly the staff is. Always willing to be helpful and make good suggestions. They always say see you next time and I laugh to myself “if only you know how often I’m here “. #kwiktriplove

As once a customer and now an employee at the Kwik Trip in Cameron, all I can say is, WOW! The other Employees were all very welcoming of the new trainee, the guests were always or almost happy with their purchases. Those who weren’t we addressed the issue and made ways to amend the issue or situation on hand. The kitchen staff that I work with all are understanding of the learning disability I have and have done a tremendous amount of work and through many new ways of help in this area of which I struggle the employees have been such great help to me, I would HIGHLY recommend stopping and if in the area do some shopping at this fine convenient establishment. Prices on their products is very reasonable, plus the bosses I work under are both very understanding if I need to make an appointment, something comes up, or I.E something else, but within a 24 hr. notice

App Privacy

The developer, Kwik Trip Inc , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

• Financial Info
• Contact Info
• Search History
• Identifiers

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

• Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

• Developer Website
• App Support
• Privacy Policy

More By This Developer

Kwik Rewards Fleet

Kwik Trip Stickers

You Might Also Like

MORE Rewards

Sun Tan City

Cost Cutters Hair Salon

Holiday Car Wash Club

Go Outdoors SD

Great Clips Online Check-in

Lucky Supermarket

Set your store.

Select a store to see your weekly ad!