Dive Brief:
- Times are good for QuikTrip. The Tulsa-based convenience store chain is building a 80,000 square foot addition to its corporate headquarters in response to rapid growth. The company as built 100 stores in less than two years and expects to open its 700th location in 2014.
- Key to that growth is a focus on fresh food. QuikTrip's QT Kitchens are foodservice units dedicated to cooking and packaging fresh foods for sale in nearby convenience stores. Take-home items such as lasagna and pizza are getting increasing focus from the company.
- QuikTrip's newer Generation 3 stores are designed to showcase a wider food selection. Generation 3 stores are nearly 6,000 square feet -- almost twice as big as standard stores. There are 100 Generation 3 stores operating now, and QuikTrip plans to replace all legacy operations with Generation 3 outlets.
Dive Insight:
It's hard to argue with QuikTrip's success. Clearly the folks at that expanding headquarters complex in Tulsa are doing something right. And it's equally clear that QuikTrip is not alone in its belief that meals and convenience stores are a potent mix. Tyson, for example, is investing heavily in convenience-store food.
Still, there seems to be a growing split in how Americans look at food. It's as if the red state/blue state phenomenon has reached all the way into our kitchens. There's shopping at the gas station vs. shopping at Whole Foods. There's frozen pizza vs fresh produce. There are the folks who watch "The Biggest Loser" and there are the folks who watch "Iron Chef." And there seems to be an ever shrinking number of people -- or companies -- that can navigate both worlds.