Kwik Star Expanding with 1st Ave. Location in Cedar Rapids

I love going to Kwik Star. It's the little things for me that set the chain apart from other convenience stores. Free air for your tires. No-fee ATMs. Super clean bathrooms. And don't get me started on the Glazers! The Wisconsin-based chain has announced that a new Kwik Star location is coming soon to Cedar Rapids!

Kwik Star Building a New Cedar Rapids Store

The Corridor Business Journal reports that Kwik Star will open its 10th Cedar Rapids store in early 2026. The location will be 4001 First Ave. SE. Officials confirm that construction is already underway. The sight for the new Kwik Star is on First Ave. between the old Outback Steakhouse and a Tommy's Express car wash.

The property was home to Bob Zimmerman Ford for years before being sold to the McGrath family in 2017, according to the CBJ. A redevelopment plan for the land has already seen the Tommy's Express car wash and a 104-unit housing complex completed. A Hy-Vee Fast and Fresh was originally part of the plan, but the CBJ reports that Hy-Vee sold the land for $1.55 million to Kwik Trip in May.

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What Will the New Kwik Star Store Have?

Officials tell the CBJ that the new Kwik Star will have eight fueling stations and a roughly 5,500 square foot store. This location will not include a car wash, which makes sense with Tommy's right next door. Construction on the new store is expected to be completed in February 2026.

Why is Kwik Trip called Kwik Star in Iowa?

For those that don't know, Kwik Star only goes by that name in Iowa. Kwik Trip was founded in Wisconsin, and when the chain expanded into Iowa, there was already a convenience store chain called Quick Trip. Thus, the name change. The rest is history!