Last weekend I convinced my family to take a road trip to Rockford, Illinois. From Chicago, it’s about a 90-minute trip and I promised there would be drinks and snacks. Everyone agreed.
Traveling on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, which is part of the Golden Corridor, named for the economic profits it provides to the area’s communities, is anything but exciting. So, we embraced the mindset that exploration is never wasted. Or as J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “not all those who wander are lost.”
The purpose of the trip was to explore the new QuikTrip, off Interstate 90 at 8070 E. State St. in Rockford. The new travel center opened in April and features Tulsa, Oklahoma-based QuikTrip's Coffee Wow tap system.
- QuikTrip is No. 9 on CSP’s 2024 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count.
The tap system features “freshly brewed bean-to-cup coffee and real milk and sugar flavors,” Aisha Jefferson, the convenience-store chain’s corporate communications manager, told CSP. “Our new tap system replaces our previous cappuccino machines, elevating your coffee experience.”
QuikTrip’s Coffee Wow tap system features a selection of 12 choices—six for hot coffee and six for cold coffee. Who knew selecting my favorite coffee, an iced-caramel latte, on draft would be so much fun. Other flavors on tap include mocha, cocoa and vanilla.
I must admit the setup didn’t just appeal to me; other customers were lining up to select their choices as well. With one customer asking, “isn’t this so cool?” I shook my head in agreement thinking “cool indeed.”
QuikTrip’s Coffee Wow tap system at the Rockford location did not disappoint and was worth the visit. With coffee consumption surging, according to Chicago-based market research firm Circana, QuikTrip’s Coffee Wow tap system will most likely see more visitors as well.
Photography by CSP Staff
Our trip to Rockford had a few other stops, including Culture Crunch, a specialty snack store that features a mix of snacks from Japan and other countries. The store features well-known brands such as Hershey, Hi-Chew and others. Culture Crunch is located at 5846 E. State St. in Rockford and for the price of imported snacks it was worth the visit.
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