What if I told you I had some of the best fried chicken of my life last night, and it came from a gas station?
‘Tis true, and that is why Kwik Trip has such a cult following (and has been named the Best Gas Station in America by USA Today for four consecutive years).
We discovered this Wisconsin-based, family-owned company during our Madison vacation last summer. We were so impressed, by the time we left four days later, I had signed up for a rewards program even though there weren’t any Kwik Trips in South Dakota.
Kwik Trip is the personification of Midwest nice, don’tcha know. Friendly employees who go out of their way to help you. An in-house bakery that churns out fresh pastries and donuts every morning. Milk, butter, and eggs that are all locally sourced within a 100-mile radius. A hip social media presence with a star-in-the-making named Paige Forde, who is the bubbly and funny Midwest girl-next-door. When Kwik Trip ran out of coffee cups last year, they posted the following.
How can you not love a company with such a great sense of humor?
They’ve even got their own catchphrase, a cheery “See you next time!” Since moving to Wisconsin almost 11 months ago (wow!), I have not once gassed up my car anywhere but Kwik Trip.
Fortunately, there are like 30 million Kwik Trips across the state, give or take a few.
So, when we needed to pivot on dinner last night, I suggested trying their fried chicken. We’re already fans of their hot case, which includes breakfast croissants, BBQ pork sandwiches, and honey battered shrimp. You actually have to order ahead on the app, otherwise you’ll be waiting around the store for 30 minutes because the chicken is cooked to order and comes out hot, fresh, and crispy.
And delicious. We were blown away.
They even deliver. Whaaat?! This could be a game-changer for those card nights where we’ve been drinking and don’t feel like pizza again.
(But if we did, Kwik Trip carries pizza. Of course they do.)
I guess with the rewards app, I’m officially a card-carrying member of the Kwik Trip cult. Proudly so, I might add.
When I mentioned how my morning walk felt like a Disney movie last week, I forgot to mention the Disneyest part of all: Bambi herself!
This actually happened about a month earlier, a moment so surreal it still blows my mind. I see a lot of deer on my walks, and 99% of the time, they take off running in the opposite direction the moment they become aware of my presence. So, when I rounded a corner one morning and surprised this fawn, I figured she’d bolt.
Well, she did, Immediately toward me. I was so shocked I stopped dead in my tracks, nearly tripping over my own feet in the process, wondering, What kind of sorcery is this?!
She (could’ve been a he, I suppose; I didn’t stop to check) came bounding up to me, a bundle of cute, naïve, innocent curiosity. Mom was nowhere to be seen to warn her off. She was so close I could have reached out and given her a little skritch on the neck, but I refrained. Disturbing wildlife is frowned upon, and I’m all about turning frowns upside down, friends! After a few seconds, she turned and dashed away into the woods, presumably in search of her friends, to whom she would recount her encounter with a strange two-legged creature who is the spitting image of David Beckham.
OK, only half that sentence is true. And by the way, I never thought I’d be googling handsomest man in the world, but here we are. The things I do for research. (Actually, David Beckham is #2. Kim Taehyung takes the top spot, but I’ve never heard of him. He’s in the South Korean boy band BTS; I know they’re wildly popular, but I couldn’t name a song to save my life.)
Anyhoo. My encounter with the fawn lasted mere seconds, but talk about a magical moment. A month later, just writing about it, I’m filled with awe.
And also, oddly, craving venison.
I KID, I KID.
Have you ever been to Kwik Trip? Would you eat fried chicken from your favorite gas station? Is Kim Taehyung the hottest man in the world? Does BTS stand for Bring The Suck, as I presume, or are they actually good?
Mark My Words 
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