LA CROSSE,Wis. -- Kwik Trip plans to build a $14 million commissary next to its La Crosse, Wis., distribution center, according to a report in the La Crosse Tribune. The La Crosse-based convenience store chain hopes to start construction next summer and finish by spring 2007, Steve Loehr, vice president of support operations, told the newspaper.
The new commissary is expected to have 65,000 to 70,000 square feet of space, compared with 5,500 square feet at Kwik Trip's existing commissary, Loehr said. A variety of food items, such as sandwiches, [image-nocss] are made at the commissary for Kwik Trip's more than 350 convenience stores.
Having a much larger commissary will allow Kwik Trip to make all of its items rather than buying them from other companies, and will allow the chain to expand its selection. There will be more convenience, more grab-and-go and more ready-to-bake items, Loehr said.
Because it will be next to the distribution center, Kwik Trip no longer will have to truck food items to the distribution center from the current commissary a few blocks away on La Crosse's North Side.
The $14 million project cost includes the new building and equipment.
Loehr said Kwik Trip also plans to build a new ice-manufacturing plant on the distribution center, probably in late 2007 or early 2008. That will increase the company's ice-making capacity and eliminate having to truck ice to the distribution center from the current ice plant.Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.