Kwik Star Express Expands Shopping Offers

New Iowa location features groceries, a walk-in humidor and ready-to-eat foods.

February 27, 2017

FORT DODGE, Iowa – A new Kwik Star Express in Fort Dodge, Iowa, celebrated its grand opening last week, featuring a variety of food and in-store merchandise that cater to its community.

The Messenger News reports that the store has a walk-in humidor stocked with a wide variety of cigars.

“The convenience store industry has changed so much,” Kwik Trip and Kwik Star spokesman Steve Wrobel said. “Years ago it meant simply fuel and tobacco. We have moved so much more into foods as a company.”

Fresh foods are delivered daily from the company’s headquarters in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The news source notes that the store’s meat, potatoes, eggs, bread, milk, bananas and other groceries are a good value for customers, and that people shouldn’t have to pay more for convenience.

“We have [an] opposite philosophy. Provide a value, a good portion for a value price, and people appreciate that and support that,” Wrobel said. “Rather than overcharging for the convenience side of things we really want to offer the values.”

The cigar selection is of special interest to Fort Dodge Store Leader David Munoz, who previously worked at Tobacco Outlet, a partner of Kwik Trip/Kwik Star. “We have something in here pretty much for any kind of budget and taste,” he said, adding that the store’s wood-walled humidor is kept at a consistent 65% to 75% humidity, and no more than 75 degrees.

In addition to coffee and powdered cappuccino, the store is selling freshly made espresso drinks from an automated Franke machine. “[It] makes real espresso drinks like you would get at a coffee bar,” said Munoz. “It grinds the beans, it mixes flavors, it uses real milk.”

The f’Real milkshake/smoothie machine is popular with customers. “Everybody is going crazy over this,” Munoz said.

The Wisconsin-based company operates Kwik Trip stores in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and its locations in Iowa are called Kwik Star to avoid confusion with the Oklahoma-based QuikTrip.

Wrobel told the news source that the new Fort Dodge store won’t have a full range of hot foods found at the larger convenience store, but it has a steady selection of ready to eat, grab-n-go items.

“Whether you’re a large or small family, you’re probably going to do your big shopping once a week, once every two weeks, once a month, whatever the case may be,” Wrobel said. “We’re kind of that corner grocery store where you might fill in with some of your different, in-between things.”

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