QuikTrip facts for kids
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QuikTrip location in Cedar Park, Texas
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| Private | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | September 25, 1958 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Founders | Burt Holmes Chester Cadieux |
| Headquarters |
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United States
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Number of locations
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1,005 (July 2023) |
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Area served
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Midwestern, Southern, Western United States |
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Key people
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Chet Cadieux (CEO), Kevin Thornton (President) |
| Products |
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| Services | |
| Revenue |  US$9.16 billion (FY 2017) |
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Number of employees
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24,034 (2020) |
QuikTrip, often called QT, is a popular chain of convenience stores in the United States. It started in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and now has stores across the Midwest, South, and West.
The very first QuikTrip store opened in 1958. It was started by two friends, Burt Holmes and Chester Cadieux. QuikTrip began selling gasoline in 1971. Today, Chester's son, Chet Cadieux Jr., is in charge of the company as its CEO.
QuikTrip is known for its high-quality gasoline. In 2005, it was one of the first companies to get a "Top Tier" rating for its fuel. This means their gasoline has special additives that help keep car engines cleaner.
The company is also recognized as a great place to work. It has often been listed among the "100 Best Companies to Work For" by Fortune magazine. This helps QuikTrip attract new employees.
Contents
The Story of QuikTrip
How QuikTrip Began
The idea for QuikTrip came from Burt Holmes. He saw how successful 7-Eleven stores were in Dallas and wanted to open a similar small grocery store in his hometown of Tulsa. He teamed up with his friend Chester Cadieux. They each put in $5,000 to start the business.
The first QuikTrip store opened in 1958. It was a small grocery store that sold a few items for people who needed things quickly. The company grew fast, opening its first store outside Tulsa in 1964. By 1968, they had expanded to Missouri, and to Iowa by 1974.
Adding Gas and New Products
QuikTrip started selling gasoline in 1971. This was when states began allowing people to pump their own gas. In the early 1970s, Chester Cadieux decided to focus on popular items that sold quickly. He removed things like canned vegetables and instead stocked more drinks, snacks, and cigarettes.
In 1976, QuikTrip became one of the first convenience store chains to be open 24 hours a day. That same year, they introduced their well-known "QT" logo.
New Look and Fresh Food
In 1988, QuikTrip began updating all its stores. They changed the old earth-tone colors to a bright red design. The inside of the stores got red counters and floors, making them look modern and clean. They also started making the areas around the stores look nicer with landscaping.
By the early 1990s, QuikTrip was a leader in offering fresh food and drinks. They were the first convenience store to have self-serve soda fountains and coffee bars. This made it easy for customers to get their favorite drinks.
In 2012, QuikTrip started a new program called "QT Kitchens." They began making fresh food daily at their own bakery and commissary. This included sandwiches, wraps, salads, fruit, and pastries. Later, they added full kitchens inside their stores. Now, you can order hot, made-to-order food and specialty drinks. Many older stores were updated to include these kitchens, and new stores are built with them in mind.
QuikTrip Stores and Services
QuikTrip tries to make checking out super fast. Employees are trained to open more registers if there are too many people waiting in line. They want to help customers get in and out quickly.
Different Kinds of Stores
- Travel Centers: Some QuikTrip stores are larger "travel centers." These are like smaller truck stops. They have big stores, lots of gas pumps, and special diesel pumps for large trucks. They also have scales for trucks and items truck drivers might need.
- Stores with Restaurants: In the past, QuikTrip tried partnering with other fast-food restaurants. Some stores had a Wendy's or Burger King attached. This allowed customers to get both convenience store items and a meal in one stop.
- Stores Without Gas: QuikTrip has also opened a few stores that don't sell gasoline. For example, they had a store inside the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, which only sold snacks and drinks. They also opened a store in midtown Atlanta in a condominium building.
In 2008, QuikTrip even had a stadium named after it: QuikTrip Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. They sold QT Kitchens products there, too!
Where You Can Find QuikTrip Stores
QuikTrip has more than 1,000 stores across many states in the U.S. All of these stores are owned and operated by the company itself.
Here are some of the areas where you can find QuikTrip:
- Alabama: Tuscaloosa and Auburn areas
- Arizona: Phoenix and Tucson areas
- Arkansas: Little Rock area
- Colorado: Fort Collins, Denver, and Colorado Springs areas
- Georgia: Atlanta area
- Iowa: Des Moines area
- Kansas: Wichita area
- Kansas / Missouri: Kansas City area
- Louisiana: Shreveport and West Monroe areas
- Mississippi: Jackson area
- Missouri / Illinois: St. Louis area
- Nebraska / Iowa: Omaha area
- North Carolina / South Carolina: Charlotte area
- Oklahoma: Tulsa area
- Remote Store Network: Joplin, Missouri; Lindale, Texas; Waco, Texas
- South Carolina: Greenville / Spartanburg and Columbia areas
- Tennessee: Nashville and Chattanooga areas
- Texas: Dallas / Fort Worth, Austin, Texas / San Antonio, Texas, Abilene, Texas, and Conroe, Texas areas
Friendly Competition
In places like Atlanta and Dallas/Fort Worth, QuikTrip often competes with another chain called RaceTrac. Both companies have new, clean stores with good lighting and lots of space. Sometimes, you'll even find a QuikTrip and a RaceTrac right across the street from each other! In Texas, they also compete with Buc-ee's.
Why No QuikTrip in Scottsdale?
You won't find a QuikTrip in Scottsdale, a city near Phoenix. This is because Scottsdale has special rules about how gas stations must be designed. QuikTrip doesn't want to change its usual store design, and Scottsdale won't make an exception. So, Scottsdale is one of the few cities in the Phoenix area without a QuikTrip.
