![]() ![]() “The construction workers would come in and they’d buy a loaf of bread and they’d buy these these big chunks of bologna and these big packs of cheese,” Thornbrugh said.Ĭadieux saw workers assembling sandwiches outside the store and realized there was a demand for food to-go. And it was a very, very small building The logic was save people 15 to 20 steps,” Thornbrugh said.Ĭadieux and Holmes did not have money to advertise, so Cadieux walked through neighborhoods introducing himself to potential customers and eventually built up a following. The location did not sell gasoline and its shelves were crammed with products. Holmes recruited former classmate Chester Cadieux as his business partner, and the first Tulsa QuikTrip opened the following year.Īccording to QuikTrip spokesman Mike Thornbrugh, the initial shop was more like a mini grocery store, rather than a modern-day convenience store. Holmes was impressed by a store in Dallas, now known as 7-Eleven, and decided to start a similar company in Tulsa. QuikTrip started in 1957 when a man named Burt Holmes traveled from Tulsa to Dallas for the annual Red River Showdown football game between the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas. “They’re not going to be able to survive if they don’t get better at food service in the future,” Longo said. Longo said breakfast and lunch foods now contribute significantly to many convenience stores’ revenue and he expects more stores will join them. “Those products became commoditized very rapidly and profit margins were dying in those categories.” ![]() “Fuel and cigarettes and beer and soft drinks not going to drive their business in the future,” Longo said. Longo said the switch started during the past decade. This expansion into food service is a nationwide trend among convenience stores, according to Don Longo, editorial director of Convenience Store News. QuikTrip sells gas, but it may be best known for its food and beverage selection The chain’s Oklahoma locations sell smoothies roller grill foods like taquitos and corn dogs and made-to-order items like personal pizzas and flatbreads. “ story I’ve always heard about this is that there is a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ between the owners of QuikTrip and the owners of Love’s that they would not invade each others’ territory,” Jungman said.Īlternate rumors suggest the pact is between QuikTrip and another company, like 7-Eleven or Stillwater-based OnCue Express. But QuikTrip has zero locations in Oklahoma City. The Tulsa-based company operates nearly 800 locations across 11 states. She said, ‘QuikTrip is the Disneyland of convenience stores,’” said Jungman, director of Student Media at the University of Oklahoma. “One of my colleagues captured this perfectly. He asked How Curious: Is this story true? KGOU listener Nick Jungman heard a rumor that an old agreement between business owners is keeping the Oklahoma-based QuikTrip out of the state’s capital city. ![]()
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