Regarding the signs, remember this is within OKC limits and there are lots of rules.
They had to apply for an exception just to get what they have now.
Totally makes sense. I wouldn't think the way it's signed now would really be their preference. I must be mistaken that there are taller signs around. You can see the Loves and Flying J signs up at 122nd for a good ways, but now that I think about it they're situated on top of a hill up there so that's probably the difference. The new QT is situated there in a small valley of sorts.
Also, some signs were grandfathered in before tighter restrictions.
The signs are small. The one good thing they have going for them are the billboards along i-35 at NE 50th going NB and at E Seward going SB that have already been installed and tell drivers and truckers where to exit the highway. That will help get the travelers in the door which is what they are targeting.
The new QT opens tomorrow (Thursday, 10/3) at 6 AM.
QT places second in list of best c-stores. WaWa wins, Buc-ee's ties for third.
https://www.fox23.com/news/quiktrip-...b83ab81bc.html
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What's going on with that sidewalk to nowhere
Per PUD-1854, Section 9.12 "Five-foot sidewalks shall be constructed along Hefner Road and the I-35 service road, or 6-foot sidewalks shall be required if the sidewalk is constructed adjacent to the curb, subject to the policies and procedures of the Public Works Department." Their attachments also refer to a bike lane.
I haven't been there, just saw the pics above. They don't always follow zoning plans that close, but should follow the zoning rules, so...
Any possibility that sidewalk might be to a yet-to-be-fenced off-leash pet area? I mean, that MIGHT be a functioning fire hydrant nearby, but it sure is oddly removed from the street. Pet area would make sense for an interstate frontage C-store with truck facilities.
There are tons of exemptions and what not that allow them to get away with not building sidewalks. Not to mention the city is bad about enforcing good sidewalk construction anyways.
The city will come back in 20 years and pay millions to build them later on like they are doing now on parts of I-240 and JKT.
Why don't they cover the parking area like OnCue. If it's raining or snowing I'm going to OnCue if I have a choice.
OnCue designed their stores when they expanded in OKC to have this feature with the covered canopy. They also easily implemented things like hot kitchens and drive thru's pretty quick in the older stores that were the first ones built when they entered OKC. OnCue basically serves OKC and thats it other than a few grandfathered rural locations in north central Oklahoma and a sole location in Houston.
QuikTrip having so many locations in so many markets, can't pivot as quickly. They are also extremely consistent with their Gen 3 stores (like this one) having a certain look across the brand. The costs to add it on at existing stores probably isn't worth any significant bump in customers or sales. For a location like this, I don't know how much of the business is the car consumer versus truckers who are buying significant amounts of diesel and probably spending more in store than an average consumer, who are going to walk longer from the truck bays versus the regular pumps.
Moving to OKC over 20 years ago and basically having CircleK and Brown family 7-11's as C-store options, I craved having a QuikTrip in OKC in the 2000's, When OnCue came in, they filled the QT void and really did some dynamic things like the covered canopy, extremely large and CLEAN restrooms, drive thru windows, etc.
With OnCue being so consistent in OKC, I don't really see a need for QT to fill in with the corner c-stores. I'm sure they will build a few more travel centers along the interstate in OKC, but it would be hard to compete against OnCue that is already heavily established in OKC and doing things really well as a company.
A have a couple of cousins and close friend's dad that were store managers in 80s and 90s. They've told me that long ago QT did a cost analysis and determined the amount of business they actually lost in the rain didn't justify the price of adding it. At that time there were many other stores in the Tulsa area that did cover the walkway. I'm guessing now its probably more of a style choice that they didn't see much impact from not implementing.
The one bad thing about the huge canopies is that the stores get zero natural light.
I always feel like I'm in a cave while at OnCue.
Interesting this new location in OKC doesn’t have the new coffee bar. According to the QT subreddit, apparently the permits were approved several years ago without it. Redoing the permits for the coffee bar would have delayed the construction so it was easier to follow the old permits with the old school coffee machines and change them out later with the coffee bar.
And I'll add to this touchless bathrooms. No door handles you have to grab. The soap dispensers, faucets and towel dispensers are touchless. I don't understand why any new public bathrooms constructed today are not built this way but they are not. We go to Tulsa a lot lately and I've been in many QuikTrips there and I'll take an OnCue any day over what I see in QuikTrips. I use them exclusively in OKC.
I asked about the coffee situation, mainly because the coffee bars in the Tulsa stores serve excellent cold brew. They said they are planning to add that to OKC soon.
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