One of the newer initiatives that the Kwik Trip Kitchens has undertaken in 2021 has been packaging fresh fruit for our stores, creating a more direct process that allows our Kitchens to have a better control of quality and freshness.

The initial offerings started with cups of pineapple, grapes, watermelon and cantaloupe, and will soon expand to include cups with combined pineapple and strawberries as well as another cup with strawberries, blueberries and kiwi. Later this spring, the Kitchens will start packaging 16-ounce fruit trays, 12-ounce and 6-ounce veggie trays of cauliflower, broccoli and carrots, as well as carrots and dip and another with apples and caramel. The production facility is currently producing approximately 15,000 units per day!

According to Brad Clarkin, production operations director at Kwik Trip, this endeavor is all about fresh, quality products.

“Kwik Trip is placing more emphasis on selling better-for-you products within our stores, as an effective way to continue to grow sales, increase profitability and offer our guests fresh product, at a great value,” said Clarkin.

These excellent offerings are prepared in the new addition of the Kitchens that came on-line last fall, in the same facility where our Take Home Meals and pizzas are produced. It continues to add to our commitment of delivering what guests want, with the freshest possible products at reasonable prices.

Yep, you read that right! The multitude of questions, suggestions, and comments provided via Kwik Trip’s social media channels have finally caused enough commotion. Kwik Trip’s newest launch of merchandise includes specially designed hoodies, crewnecks, and t-shirts created for Kwik Trip admirers of all styles, and are exclusively sold by Kwik Trip, Inc.

 

 

Even though this isn’t the first apparel launch, it will not be the last. These new wardrobe staple products follow the introduction of our branded boxers & briefs, and more “out there” options are sure to follow.

Check out all the brand-new merch at https://www.kwiktripmerch.com. With multiple options, you’re sure to find something to suit your style—but hurry! Limited quantities are available, so order while supplies last!

 

 

 

 

ROCHESTER, Minn. – When Lyle Jacobs found out that he was a winner of a Gold Card from the 2020 Kwik Trip Gold Rush competition, he knew exactly who he had to tell first.

The crew at his local Kwik Trip, of course.

Jacobs accrued the eighth-most visits of any Kwik Rewards member this past year, cementing his place within the top 10 and earning the benefits of being a Gold Card holder, which include $1,500 in free fuel and double visits for all of 2021.

After receiving the news that he had indeed won, he had to quickly head over to Store #321 in his home town of Rochester and let the staff know.

“I burst in the door and said, ‘I’m a winner!’” said Jacobs. “These people are like family. They’re all really good people, and I saw them a whole lot.”

Gold Card Winner Lyle Jacobs and his wife, Judy, outside store #321 in Rochester, MN

When Jacobs received the email in November that let him know he was still in the running for the Gold Card, he upped his game – and his level of commitment.

Store #321 opens at 5 a.m. every day, and Jacobs would be sure to make a purchase as close to that as possible, to maximize the number of visits possible. Guests must wait two hours in between visits in order for them to count in the Kwik Rewards app, and Jacobs was very adherent to the policy.

“I would set the alarm, get up and go in at 5:05,” said Jacobs, who is retired. “Then I’d catch the 7 o’clock visit before I would go to the Y or if I had somewhere else to go. I was pretty driven.”

Esabell Fuchs, Assistant Store Leader at #321, said she can’t remember the last day she worked in which she didn’t see Lyle come in to her store.

“We saw him every two hours on the dot,” said Fuchs. “We always look forward to getting to help him.”

Jacobs bought a lot of produce – bananas and oranges as his favorite – as well as eggs, bread, and plenty of car washes. He also brought home meals to his wife Judy on a regular basis.

“The ribs are my favorite, and the meatloaf Take Home Meal is Judy’s favorite,” Jacobs said. “We like the chicken, too. It’s a good addition to the store.”

Jacobs said that he lives about three blocks from his favorite store, and so walking over to the store became part of his daily exercise routine. He made sure to know what time his most recent visit was, and could time his walks so that he was punctual for his next one.

“I would get unhappy if I was a half hour over, but that was kind of my activity – going to Kwik Trip to try to win the Gold Card,” Jacobs said. “I kind of forgot that there was $1,500 of gas involved, but it didn’t matter what the prize was. I just wanted to be a winner.”

Visiting the store as often as he did, Lyle got to know the staff well, including Sam Meeks, who was killed in an auto accident in December. Lyle and Judy went to his memorial service, and released a special balloon in his honor at Mayo High School.

He also noted that the staff at #321 were incredibly supportive after Lyle lost his brother to Covid-19 in early December.

“They got me a sympathy card and they all signed it,” Jacobs said. “It was really heartwarming. If they hadn’t already been considered family then, they really are now.”

Fuchs said that Jacobs is a caring person and the staff was happy to see earn a Gold Card.

“We get the pleasure of seeing him every day,” said Fuchs. “He cares about us and he enjoys seeing us as much as we enjoy seeing him.”

If he and his wife are able to travel this year, Jacobs said he would love to use the free fuel to drive to visit family, in either Oregon or Arizona.

While his day-to-day might not be as structured around visiting Kwik Trips as often as possible, Jacobs said that he’s still stopping in with great frequency.

“I was a dedicated Kwik Trip person, and I still am,” Jacobs said. “I’ve been there three times already today!”

Gold Card winner Lyle Jacobs and the staff at Store #321 in Rochester, MN

 

Gold Card winner Lyle Jacobs making sure his visits look correct with Ferida and Shelly at Store #321 in Rochester, MN

 

Post: Chris Callaway, Marketing

Photo: Hunter Brame, Marketing

 

NEW LONDON, Wis. — When Brent Erdmann received his annual Kwik Rewards Year In Review email at the end of 2019, one number jumped out more than the others.

In the email that lets Rewards members know how many visits they had, how many gallons of gas they pumped, or what their favorite item to purchase was, Erdmann was most intrigued by the stat that showed that he had visited 93 stores during the calendar year. With that number in mind, he created an unofficial contest in his mind.

In 2020, Erdmann visited 615 stores across the Kwik Trip family, setting what has to be a record, although official data on such a record doesn’t exist.

“While not part of the (Gold Rush) program, I thought it would be neat to try the feat,” said Erdmann, who estimated that he put about 50,000 miles on his car during 2020. “I also remember the Kwik Trip Social Media Team making Tweets about if anyone has ever tried it.”

Yes, those Tweet receipts do exist.

While the current count of stores is over 750, hitting 615 in one year certainly shows an impressive level of commitment.

“I also knew that not many would even try to go to every store since some people simply either have better things to do,” said Erdmann, adding with a laugh, “or they’re are not that crazy as I am.”

Erdmann, 27, currently works as a Locomotive Engineer for Canadian National Railway in Fond du Lac, and said that he takes advantage of nearly everything Kwik Trip has to offer, from coffee in the morning, no-fee ATMs for weekly cash, or a take-home meal at the end of the day. He also noted that his travels were powered by fried chicken and Bigs Dill Pickle sunflower seeds, as well as Brisk Raspberry iced tea, Sun Drop and Red Bull.

“I tend to buy my milk and eggs from Kwik Trip,” Erdmann said. “I am not one that likes to spend an hour at the grocery store so if Kwik Trip has it, I get it there.”

Reaching that many stores did take some serious planning, as Erdmann created a Google Map to track his progress.

“When it came to short and local trips, I could fit many in with other daily activities and duties,” Erdmann said of the stores close to his home in New London. “When it was hour-long or multiple-day road trips, planning a route to make sure each was accounted for got a little difficult.”

He thanked his girlfriend, Melissa, and close friend, Matt, in assisting with his plan and ensuring his numbers were up to date, and also for being companions on dedicated Kwik Trip road trips. His longest trip was to western Minnesota, where he stopped at Store #944 in Willmar, which Erdmann said was 5 hours, 41 minutes from his home, a mere 345 miles away.

“In June, Matt and I ventured out to Waterloo, Iowa, and along the way, we found a fireworks stand that was open,” said Erdmann. “By the end of the next day, we ended up stopping at six fireworks stands and the back of my truck was full.”

The pandemic did affect Erdmann’s plans a bit, as changes in his work schedule allowed the team to cover more ground in their endeavor.

“As time went on, I knew I had a goal and wasn’t going to let (the pandemic) get in the way anymore,” said Erdmann. “I also was furloughed throughout the summer which helped see new areas, and Melissa and Matt got to see some new territory in the adventure, too. I also used this to keep an upbeat and positive attitude during a challenging year.”

To rack up as many stores as possible, Erdmann closed out the calendar year in particularly impressive fashion, visiting 71 stores across three states in two days.

“I went on an around-the-clock run to finish out the year,” Erdmann said. “My final stop was at none other than the La Crosse Headquarters where I got fuel at the Fuel Island for my 615th store.”

He also credited the Wisconsin Kwik Trip Enthusiast Club on Facebook for helping to drive his passion for all things Kwik Trip, and said that Kwik Trip has been a part of his daily life for quite some time.

“If I’m at a new store getting to know them, and when I tell them I am going to all these stores, some conversations get very interesting,” Erdmann said. “And as always, I look forward to ‘seeing them next time’.”

 

Post: Chris Callaway, Marketing

Photos: Submitted by Brent Erdmann

Welcome! This is our new blog where we’ll post news about Kwik Trip, Kwik Star, Tobacco Outlet Plus and Stop-N-Go, as well as product releases, feature stories, sweepstakes updates, press releases, and more. Thanks for stopping by. We’ll see you next time!