- Mar 5
- 2 min read
In Gate of Myth and Power, I mention the gas station/convenience store "Kwik Trip," which is a Wisconsin franchise with a cult following and I realized with the final audiobook releasing later this month it would be a great chance to talk about this place more. (Note that there is an unrelated brand of stores called QuikTrip that aren't based in Wisconsin.)
Unlike a typical gas station Kwik Trip focuses on offering a wide variety of grocery items, and some of the buildings are so large they are more like small grocery stores that happen to have a gas station. They also have a wide variety of lunch-like deli items you can purchase that are reasonably fresh so many people will stop to just get food and not even bother to gas up their vehicles.
And of course they have cheap coffee (including flavored coffees) that you can purchase in extra large size which is why Leila paid them a visit. And lots of good donuts and treats too!
Here's a photo of an actual Kwik Trip donut display:
Why is Kwik Trip so popular?
Speaking as a Wisconsin resident I know from experience that the Kwik Trip gas stations tend to be cleaner (both outside and inside) than the average gas station. And they always have a free air pump in the parking lot that actually works!
They are also located everywhere in Wisconsin at this point and it's pretty common to find two of them across from each other at busy intersections, which has added to their popularity.
The company also has an over-the-top social media presence, and it's easy to find hilarious videos about them on social media. Beyond that, the cult like following of this chain is something else, and it's not that rare for average customers to do their own Kwik Trip social media posts such as wedding couples showing up for a quick photo shoot (no I'm not kidding!).
What gas stations/convenience stores are unique to your region?
