Dive Brief:
- QuikTrip is “in the early planning stages” of establishing its first convenience store in Florida, a company spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday.
- The convenience retailer is developing a travel center in Cottondale, a small town about 80 miles west of Tallahassee. QuikTrip’s spokesperson said the company hopes to begin construction on the site this summer, while a brochure from Paces Commercial Real Estate, which is listing property surrounding the site, notes it’s expected to open in early 2025.
- Florida will be QuikTrip’s 18th state of operation as the Oklahoma-based retailer continues to grow its footprint with both traditional c-stores and travel centers.
Dive Insight:
The Sunshine State has become a hotspot for c-store expansions over the past couple years. Retailers such as Wawa, Circle K, Parker’s and Kent Kwik have either acquired c-stores in Florida or touted plans to build new ones in the state as industry consolidation continues to spark growth from larger companies.
Tulsa, Oklahoma-based QuikTrip, which operates around 1,000 c-stores around the U.S., is the latest c-store retailer to join that group.
While the company’s spokesperson did not offer details on the travel center in Cottondale, most of QuikTrip’s sites in this format are about 8,200 square feet. These locations also feature QuikTrip’s prepared foods concept, QT Kitchens, which offers meals across all dayparts, ranging from veggie breakfast scrambles and biscuits to barbecue brisket, chicken and pulled pork sandwiches.
“Cottondale’s highly traveled interstate and strong economy makes it ideal for our Travel Center Concept,” QuikTrip’s spokesperson said in a statement. “We are excited and look forward to being good neighbors in the community.”
QuikTrip’s plans for Florida extend beyond its travel center in Cottondale. The company recently submitted a site development plan for a convenience store on a 74,000-square-foot lot in Pensacola.
A spokesperson for the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners said QuikTrip hasn’t moved past the initial submission stage and will need a final approval before construction on this site can begin.
