WICHITA, Kansas -- Wichita now has what Dallas and Kansas City have been testing for three years. The next generation QuikTrip store. It opened Thursday at Hillside and Kellogg.
"We call it a Generation III store," says Steve Wilson with QuikTrip of Wichita. "We are very, very excited about this concept. We've listened to consumers and this is what they want."
So what is Generation III? For one, it has drink servers making lattes for the customers.
"Pretty exciting isn't it?" asked Wilson. "If you want a specialty coffee we make it for you. We can even serve you ice cream from the soft serv machine."
In addition to the latte bar, the company is getting more into the fresh food business with fruits and vegetables.
"What we're really looking to do is increase our fresh food sales," explains Wilson. "We have increased our offer. Sure, we've still got a big selection of the ready to eat foods, the take home foods, but with our new store design, it has room for a specialty coffee area."
The Generation III store at Hillside and Kellogg even has tables and chairs out front for customers to enjoy some of those new additions to QuikTrip.
"It's too cold today to eat outside," says Wilson. "But come spring this will really give people a chance to enjoy being here. Our research shows that a lot of people on the go will actually eat in their cars in the parking lot. We want to offer a better choice."
So what do customers think of the new store with all the new options including high-tech video screens showcasing the latte, coffee and ice cream options?
"And it is absolutely awesome," says customer Allen Siegman. "I've never seen anything like this. I saw it being built, and I didn't realize how big it was until I got inside of it."
"It's wonderful," said customer Taryn Thomas. "It's huge. I've never seen anything like it."
That's exactly the reaction QuikTrip was hoping for in introducing the new concept.
"These stores have done well in Kansas City and Dallas," explains Wilson. "We are really trying to give the customers more of what they've been asking for. It's more variety and more of an offer. Since QuikTrip opened its first store in 1958, the business model continues to change. We understand that."
