Location approved for Oklahoma City's first QuikTrip truck stop

Hogan Gore, Oklahoman
·2 min read
QuikTrip is among the new-to-OKC brands coming to the metro area in 2022.
QuikTrip is among the new-to-OKC brands coming to the metro area in 2022.

The Oklahoma City Council on Tuesday approved a zoning request to allow for the city's first QuikTrip truck stop location.

The Tulsa-based convenience store chain will set up shop at 4000 E Hefner Road, with the property planned along the southwest corner of the nearby Interstate 35 Service Road and Hefner Road.

"This solidifies it is coming, and it is a QuikTrip right by Frontier City. I don't know about y'all, but I'm excited about it," said Ward 7 Councilwoman Nikki Nice during the final hearing for the proposal Tuesday morning. "They assured me they plan on being good neighbors for their first store in Oklahoma City."

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Rendering of the planned QuikTrip truck stop to be located along Hefner Road and Interstate 35 Service Road.
Rendering of the planned QuikTrip truck stop to be located along Hefner Road and Interstate 35 Service Road.

With a unanimous vote, absent Ward 3 Councilwoman Barbara Young and Ward 5 Councilman David Greenwell, the council approved the planned unit development district designation for the location, which will house one of the chain's larger stores meant for heavier traffic.

"QuikTrip Corp. has been focused on expanding the footprint of our travel center network to geographies with strong truck traffic across the United States. We are excited to consider Oklahoma City as a potential market for our remote travel center concept,” Aisha Jefferson-Smith, QuikTrip’s corporate communications manager, told The Oklahoman in September before plans were announced.

The company still has no plans to add additional, smaller convivence stores in the metro area. At this time it is unclear when construction of the truck stop is expected to begin or be completed.

Previously: QuikTrip considers Oklahoma City for travel center expansion

The new truck stop location will be located near Frontier City and will serve nearby highway traffic.
The new truck stop location will be located near Frontier City and will serve nearby highway traffic.

The chain has 900 locations across the country, with 81 in Oklahoma, but dating back to the company's origins has never opened a store in Oklahoma City.

Over the years the reason for QuikTrip's absence from the city has been attributed to a saturated convenience store market and what some believe to be a longstanding agreement between Bill Brown, former owner of Oklahoma City 7-Eleven locations, and QuikTrip co-founder Chester Cadieux.

While there is no evidence of an official agreement, or that of a "gentlemen's agreement," in 2019 former QuikTrip spokesman Mike Thornbrugh chalked up the decision to stay away from Oklahoma City as "old school respect."

In a 2014 story in the Tulsa World, Cadieux said Brown gave him business advice and helped him during the early stages of QuikTrip's existence.

“If it wasn't for Brown, we wouldn't be in business,” Cadieux said. “As long as Brown's family owns those stores, it would be unconscionable to open there.”

The Brown family sold its local 7-Eleven stores in January 2020.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC's first QuikTrip gas station gets zoning approval