Second Whitewater store set for early 2022 opening
By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
A still-growing Lacrosse-based gas station and convenience store known for its private label products and hot foods is moving forward on plans to open a pair of stores in Whitewater.
Kwik Trip is scheduled to cap off this year, opening the first of the two stores at 305 Elkhorn Road on Dec. 15. The next month, the company will ring in the new year, opening its second store at 837 S. Janesville St. on Jan. 22.
Shari Meyer, a representative within Kwik Trip’s real estate division, confirmed the opening dates when contacted by the Whitewater Register.
Company spokesman Steven Wrobel said signs of Kwik Trip’s imminent arrival should be evident in the coming months.
“Construction should begin this summer in July and August, respectively,” Wrobel said, pointing out work on the Elkhorn Road location will begin first and the Janesville Street following suit.
Cathy Anderson, the city’s economic development director, confirmed ground-level work is currently taking place in anticipation of actual construction.
Kwik Trip officials first officially announced their plans of laying roots within Whitewater late in 2019, when details for the Elkhorn Road site went before the Whitewater Plan and Architectural Review Commission. This store will be located near the roundabout with Business Highway 12.
The company’s plans for the second location became known in March 2020 when the Janesville Street site went before commissioners.
While details of the stores only recently surfaced, Kwik Trip representative Leah Berlin said the company actually had its eyes on the Whitewater area as far back as 2007.
Kwik Trip in recent years has been expanding its presence across Wisconsin and many neighboring states. The growth trajectory picked up steam in 2017 when the company acquired the similarly themed PDQ convenience store chain that was a stalwart in Madison, Waukesha and other areas of Wisconsin.
More recently, in late 2020, Kwik Trip acquired the 36 stores under the Madison-based Stop-N-Go banner, giving the company a presence in Illinois for the first time.
Kwik Trip offers a larger selection of groceries than most convenience stores – a distinction city officials have pointed out since the plans were first unveiled as the search for a new full-service grocer in Whitewater continues.
The dual Kwik Trips planned for Whitewater are to be nearly identical to one another, according to company representatives, with each offering a car wash, in addition to the fueling stations and convenience stores. The Highway 12 site is expected to have a detached car wash, while the Janesville Street property will have it attached.
The stores also will feature such amenities as the new take-home meal program that has been introduced at some stores in recent years to take advantage of the trend.
City officials praised Kwik Trip for its investment in Whitewater when the plans were first announced in late 2019 and early 2020.
When the second location was announced 14 months ago, Lisa Dawsey-Smith, representing the Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce, said she believed it would be a positive for the community.
“This company has a history of being supportive to its host communities, and it offers a positive work environment to its employees,” Dawsey-Smith said at the time.
