The Curious Case of Wisconsin’s Cities Lacking Kwik Trips: What Gives?

Wisconsin is most well known for cheese, beer, and Kwik Trip gas stations, but did you know two highly-visited places in Wisconsin are Kwik Trip-free zones?

Kwik Trip Obsession

As a lifelong Illinois resident, I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m jealous of Wisconsin’s Kwik Trip gas stations.

Every time my family heads into Wisconsin, we make a point to stop at Kwik Trip for some Glazer donuts, cinnamon rolls, and cheeseburgers and I constantly find myself wondering—why don't we have one in Rockford?

Could land issues be the reason? Please allow me to explain.

Two Popular Wisconsin Cities With No Kwik Trips

The other day I came across this interesting Kwik Trip fact: two-thirds of Wisconsin residents live within 10 minutes of a Kwik Trip gas station.

It's no secret that Kwik Trip was founded in Eau Claire, Wisconsin in 1965, and the company still has their headquarters in the state, so it's not shocking that Wisconsin's map is literally covered with Kwik Trip locations.

What is shocking, though? Two of the most visited places in Wisconsin have no Kwik Trips: Milwaukee and Door County.

Now the big question is; why?

Why Are There No Kwik Trips in Milwaukee or Door County?

A Kwik Trip PR person told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that there is one big reason Milwaukee and Door County are Kwik Trip deserts:

they need two to three acres for a new store and there isn’t reasonably priced real estate that size.

So, is the high cost of land to blame—or could local alcohol ordinances play a role too?

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article also says:

Milwaukee doesn’t allow gas stations to sell alcohol, an ordinance the city shares with Brookfield and Wauwatosa, who also do not have any Kwik Trip stores located in their communities.

Hmm. Surely Rockford has more affordable land to sell, and would be cool with Kwik Trip selling alcohol. Is there hope for our fine city yet? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.