New QuikTrip Opens May 2, Limits Alcohol Sales to Beer

Plans are moving forward on the Howdershell Road QuikTrip (QT).

Mark Grant, with QT's St. Louis Division said the store is slated to open the first week of May.

"Right now the predicted opening day is May 2," he said.

Grant asked Hazelwood City Council at its March 20 meeting to allow the business' liquor license to transfer between stores. Grant said the new store will not offer hard liquor or wine.

"At the current location there is a full liquor license," he said. "At the new store it will be beer only."

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The new store is QuikTrip's Generation 3 (Gen 3) line. Gen 3 is QuikTrip's new prototype store. Mike Thornbrugh, QuikTrip's manager Public/Gov. Affairs previously told Hazelwood Patch a decline in sales of what was once all gas stations' most purchased products, gasoline and cigarettes, has the company  diversifying.

"There are currently 60 to 65 Gen 3 stores in operation and another 40 in construction nationwide," he said. "Generation 3 is where we are headed in the future, and the goal is to be more food proficient."

The new store will be larger, enabling the chain to expand its fresh-food offerings. The store will be about 20 percent larger than the current Howdershell location and will be able to compete with other coffee shops with the inclusion of the made-to-order coffee drinks and ice cream service.

Thornbrugh also said compared with a typical QuikTrip that is 4,300 square feet, there is a significant amount more parking at the 5,000 plus square feet Gen 3 model, along with  six entry and exit points into the locations to make navigating in-and-out a simpler process.