Kwik Trip is opening a second convenience store in Sturgeon Bay and Door County

Christopher Clough, Green Bay Press-Gazette
·3 min read
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STURGEON BAY - About 14 months after Kwik Trip made its first appearance in Door County, a second one is opening this week with at least one difference that should make it easier for truckers and some travelers to visit.

The new fueling station and convenience store just off the intersection of State 42/57 and South Duluth Avenue (County S) in Sturgeon Bay opens to the public at 5 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 14. A grand opening is set for Wednesday, Dec. 20, with an open house from 10 a.m. to noon and a ribbon-cutting at 11 a.m.

Kwik Trip is opening its second fueling station and convenience store in Sturgeon Bay and Door County at State 42/57 and South Duluth Avenue on Dec. 14, about 14 months after the first Kwik Trip in the city and county opened.
Kwik Trip is opening its second fueling station and convenience store in Sturgeon Bay and Door County at State 42/57 and South Duluth Avenue on Dec. 14, about 14 months after the first Kwik Trip in the city and county opened.

That first week of business from the 14th to the 19th is a soft opening before the ribbon-cutting, with the store offering special coupons to customers as "kind of a thanks to Sturgeon Bay for letting us in," Kwik Trip public relations specialist Ben Leibl said.

"For us, we're always looking to build new stores in the right markets," Leibl said. "We're thankful to the city of Sturgeon Bay for allowing us to build there, thankful for that partnership."

The La Crosse-based company opened the Peninsula's first Kwik Trip on Egg Harbor Road in Sturgeon Bay in October 2022. That store has done quite well, but it's not on the main route people use when traveling through Door County unless they're planning to drive into the city. The new store is on the outskirts of Sturgeon Bay on that main travelers' route.

"It's really just the convenience factors," Leibl said about opening a second store in that location. "The one inside of the town, I think, is more for residents of Sturgeon Bay. The one on the highway is more for travel reasons. We wanted to provide those conveniences for people on the highway."

To that end, although the two stores will be very similar in appearance and offerings, likely the most obvious difference is a much larger parking lot in the new store, designed to better accommodate truckers, mobile home drivers and RVers. The Egg Harbor Road store does have some space for semitrucks and haulers, but the new store has nine designated parking stalls for semis and RVs, many of who might not be likely to exit the highway into the city to get to the original store.

Also, the Duluth Avenue store will have two kiosks where customers can check out themselves instead of concluding their transactions with a cashier. Kwik Trip announced about two weeks ago it plans to have two self-checkout kiosks in every one of its newly built stores.

Leibl said as of now, the new Kwik Trip will have 45 employees, and typically about 40% of store employees, which in this case is about 18, are full time.

A look inside the Kwik Trip fueling station and convenience store opening Dec. 14 at State 42/57 and South Duluth Avenue in Sturgeon Bay. It will be the city's and county's second Kwik Trip, the first one opening in October 2022.
A look inside the Kwik Trip fueling station and convenience store opening Dec. 14 at State 42/57 and South Duluth Avenue in Sturgeon Bay. It will be the city's and county's second Kwik Trip, the first one opening in October 2022.

The new store will be the 865th Kwik Trip in the privately owned company's portfolio. It operates Kwik Trip convenience stores across Wisconsin and Minnesota and Kwik Star convenience stores in Iowa and South Dakota. Like the Egg Harbor Road store, the Duluth Avenue store is open 24 hours a day and has a car wash bay and no-fee ATM.

Besides fuel, Kwik Trips also offer fresh bakery and coffee; meals and meal items from sandwiches, pizzas and soups to breakfast items and cafe-style platters; grocery items including meats and produce; and snacks, desserts and beverages.

Sturgeon Bay's new Kwik Trip is at 901 S. Duluth Ave., with entrances/exits on both Duluth Avenue and State 42/57. For more information, call 920-818-8000 or visit kwiktrip.com.

Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.

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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door County gets its second Kwik Trip convenience store in Sturgeon Bay