*QuikTrip is about to make Michigan history by opening its first store in Kalamazoo with a facility that does not exist anywhere else in the United States.*

The Oklahoma-based convenience chain got its first special use permit approved Wednesday night from the City of Kalamazoo Planning Commission for a location at 3810 E. Cork St.

The proposed build features a 16 pump gas station and a 5,312 square-foot convenience store with a full-service kitchen — what QuikTrip Project Manager Gabriel Longoria calls the "gen four" format.

That specific store layout does not exist in any other U.S. market.

"A QuikTrip gas station is on its way to becoming one of the first in Michigan," Longoria told commissioners during the Wednesday night meeting. "The specific build they're planning for Kalamazoo, dubbed by Longoria as the 'gen four' version of QuikTrip, doesn't yet exist anywhere else in the United States."

The site sits on land formerly occupied by The Crew Family Restaurant and Bakery, which currently operates on Portage Road. Developers plan to demolish the existing structure to make way for the new facility.

What QuikTrip Brings to Michigan

QuikTrip operates in 22 states but has no locations in Michigan. The chain is ranked No. 9 on CSP's 2025 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count and operates more than 31,000 locations across the country.

Longoria's presentation to the Planning Commission highlighted several notable company achievements:

  • They have spent 15 years on Fortune's List of "100 Best Companies to Work For"
  • QuikTrip has never laid off a single employee
  • The company is perennially listed on Forbes' "Top 100 Privately Held Companies"
  • Each location generates an average of $1.3 million in state and local taxes annually
  • QuikTrip contributes 5% of its profits to charitable organizations in the communities it operates
  • Every QuikTrip is a National Safe Place location for endangered youth

Longoria also noted that QuikTrip won't be the first gen four store to open, as one location will open within the next couple of months. However, he said the Kalamazoo location will be among one of the first in the country.

Site Improvements

City Planner Christina Anderson reviewed the proposal and noted that the site redevelopment will add more green space, plantings and improvements to the lot. She specifically mentioned the replacement of an "oversized parking lot" that will be reduced from 219 spaces to 49 spaces.

The QuikTrip application states their plan will retain some existing vegetation and add an additional 58 shrubs, three trees and 118 square-feet of interior landscaping.

Public Comments

One person spoke during the public comment period in support of the QuikTrip proposal. That commenter echoed Longoria's description of the chain's approach, saying in his experience QuikTrip lives up to being "more than a gas station."

Planning Commissioner Thomas Kostrzewa praised the chain's reputation during the meeting.

"In my homework on you guys, you're in competition for the cleanest bathrooms and most well maintained bathrooms in America...I know it's a competitive industry and we all know the downside out there so that's pretty impressive," Kostrzewa said, garnering some laughs from the audience.

Next Steps

The special use permit was the first regulatory hurdle. Next up for QuikTrip is the site plan review process followed by building and construction permits.

The commission voted unanimously to approve the special use permit, generally expressing positive comments about the idea.

QuikTrip plans to bring its brand to Michigan, and Kalamazoo will be the location.