WICHITA, Kansas -- With the company's first Generation 3 stores a success, more changes are coming for Wichita's QuikTrip stores, reported the Wichita Eagle.
The dozen other such stores that have opened in Oklahoma, the Carolinas, Texas and Kansas City have also been deemed successful, company spokesperson Mike Thornbrugh told the newspaper, so consumers should expect duplicates of the stores as the chain expands and retools in Wichita, said the report.
"Going forward, where we can on new locations, we are going to do our Generation 3 store," Thornbrugh said. "The model works, so where there's a 'scrape and build' or we're going to relocate a store, in all probability we'll do a Generation 3."
QuikTrip has built several new scrape-and-build stores in Wichita, building the new store on site while keeping the old facility open during construction. So upgrades are probable around Wichita, he said.
The Generation 3 store includes two front doors, a larger QT Kitchens area, room for more liquor and a specialty hot- and cold-drink and ice cream area staffed by baristas.
QuikTrip's target customer for Generation 3 is the shopper who needs a quick meal in the car, or something quick to take home and cook. Its primary Wichita competitor, Kroger-owned Kwik Shop, offers a collection of food, along with a variety of Kroger-priced grocery items, the report said.
Today, QT stores offer a variety of hamburgers, hot dogs, meat sandwiches and salads, along with a group of "Grab and Go" foods that can be taken home and cooked, like pizzas, lasagna and pastas.
"As the years go by and we get better and better at the food business, the menu is going to expand drastically," Thornbrugh said. "It's something we're taking a look at now."
Scott Redler, chief operating officer of Freddy's Frozen Custard, calls QuikTrip a powerhouse in the "sprinting food" market.
"I mean, look at them in the morning," Redler told the Eagle. "People are either doing their drive-through or they're at QuikTrip. You're in and out quickly with a good product at a good value. I have nothing but respect for them. It's a great operation."
QuikTrip will continue to push aggressively for a change in Kansas' liquor laws that would allow it to sell more alcohol, the report added.
"It might not be this year, but it will eventually happen," Thornbrugh told the paper. "Eventually, you're going to let the market decide where people buy their liquor."
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