Kwik Star plans to open its tenth Cedar Rapids area location early next year at 4001 First Ave. SE, company officials have confirmed.
Ben Leibl, a spokesperson for Kwik Star, said construction of the new store has already begun, with completion expected in February 2026, followed by a grand opening.
This store will have eight MPDs (Multiple Product Dispensers), or fueling stations, but will not have a car wash, Mr. Liebl said. The store will be roughly 5,500 square feet and “will have a modern look to it inside with modern signage, flooring (and) colors,” he said.
The property, located between the former Outback Steakhouse restaurant and a Tommy’s Express, was occupied for several years by Bob Zimmerman Ford before that dealership was sold to the McGrath Family of Companies in 2017. The buildings on the site were subsequently demolished in December 2020.
A redevelopment plan for the site, which has already resulted in the new Tommy’s Express and a 104-unit housing complex, was also originally planned to include a Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh, a hybrid convenience and grocery store.
However, Hy-Vee sold their property at the site to Kwik Trip Inc., parent company of Kwik Star, in May for $1.55 million, according to Cedar Rapids assessor’s office records.
Kwik Trip Inc., based in La Crosse, Wisconsin, opened its first Cedar Rapids-area Kwik Star convenience store in October 2017 at 8835 Runway Ct. SW. There are currently nine Kwik Star locations in the Cedar Rapids metro area.
According to Iowa Starting Line, when Kwik Trip opened its first store in Iowa in 1993, there was already a chain of convenience stores called QuikTrip. To avoid confusion, Kwik Trip opened all Iowa locations under the name Kwik Star instead.
