Who Owns QuikTrip?

Burt Holmes and Chester Cadieux Sr. opened the first QuikTrip on September 25, 1958, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, inspired by the 7-Eleven convenience format Holmes had seen in Dallas. The store sold groceries, cigarettes and sundries to customers who wanted faster trips than supermarkets offered. Cadieux bought out Holmes within a few years and became the architect of the company's growth.

Expansion was deliberate. QuikTrip added gasoline sales in 1971 after merging with Wichita-based Shopeze, grew to 120 stores by the end of that year, and spread across the Midwest and South through the following decades. The chain passed 500 stores in 2008 and 1,000 in 2023, building its footprint market by market rather than scattering locations nationally.

A defining move was the push into fresh food. QuikTrip launched QT Kitchens, full-service counters inside stores serving made-to-order hoagies, pizza, pretzels and breakfast items, betting that foodservice would matter more than fuel as electric vehicles grew. The investment turned the chain into a direct competitor with quick-service restaurants, not just other convenience stores.

Chet Cadieux Jr., who joined the company in the 1970s and became CEO in 2002, presided over the acceleration. The chain entered new states steadily: its first Indiana store opened in Daleville in April 2025, and its first Utah location, a travel center, opened in July 2026. In February 2026 the company opened its 1,200th store in Morrow, Georgia, and it announced plans for more than 80 new stores in 2026 alone, the fastest buildout in its history.

The company is also rolling out its Gen 4 store design, a larger format emphasizing foodservice, outdoor seating and expanded parking, as it pushes past 1,250 stores in 23 states with approximately 34,000 employees.