by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Kwik Trip stores seem to be proliferating in the greater St. Cloud area, with a recent one opening in Sauk Rapids and an even newer one that started business just last week on Division Street in St. Cloud.
In just the past few months, seven Kwik Trips opened in the area, including in St. Joseph, Sauk Rapids, St. Cloud and Waite Park.
“This is a fantastic location,” said store leader Cameron Stowe, of the Sauk Rapids Kwik Trip. “The response from customers has been phenomenal. We’ve heard such great comments from them.”
The Sauk Rapids Kwik Trip, which opened about three weeks ago, is located at 149-209 18th St. S. near the Living Waters Church near Sartell, just off Hwy. 15. During the first weeks of opening, the business was inundated with customers eager to see what the store had to offer, to the point some customers had trouble finding a parking spot.
The Sauk Rapids store, which employs 38 full- and part-time workers, is one of 499 Kwik Trips, a fourth-generation business based in LaCrosse, Wis.
Kwik Trips are like mini-grocery stores and gas stations, and they offer all kinds of to-go foods, such as sandwiches hot and cold, pizzas, a huge variety of pastries, coffee, dairy products and a range of breads, groceries and fresh fruits.
The stores are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Stowe, who lives in St. Cloud, was familiar with Kwik Trips when growing up in Sparta, Wis. At that time, however, he had no clue he would someday be a Kwik Trip store leader in Sauk Rapids. He said he’s happy destiny led him to his current position because he’s very proud to be a Kwik Trip employee.
“The company is like family,” he said. “Kwik Trip has great health insurance for employees, and it’s all about the workers. Forty percent of profits are shared with workers. It’s just an amazing culture, a family culture. Its motto is ‘To make a difference in someone’s life every day,’ and that is what Kwik Trip does.”
Stowe is also proud of Kwik Trip products. The frozen pizza and the many, many packages of pastries are made every day in the Kwik Trip headquarters in LaCross and shipped to all stores within 24 hours to ensure freshness.
“All of them are made from scratch,” Stowe said.
The Qwik Trip store that opened recently in Sauk Rapids is one of seven new ones that started up business in the greater St. Cloud area in recent months. There are now 499 Kwik Trip stores in the nation, with the chain’s headquarters located in LaCrosse, Wis.
