- QuikTrip is proposing a 6,445-square-foot convenience store and gas station at 6808 Burlington Pike, replacing a vacant former Frisch’s Big Boy.
- The project would mark QuikTrip’s second entry into Kentucky, as the national chain expands amid growing competition from brands like Wawa.
- Traffic impacts and site design sparked debate at a public hearing, with the proposal heading next to the zone change committee on Jan. 21.
QuikTrip could be the latest convenience store brand to set up shop in Boone County.
Over the past two years, Wawa, a convenience store and gas station chain based in Pennsylvania, revealed an ambitious expansion into Northern Kentucky, pledging to open several stores across Boone and Campbell counties.
Now, QuikTrip wants in on the action. On Wednesday, Jan. 9, the Boone County Planning Commission held a public hearing to consider a request to amend an approved concept development plan for a two-acre commercial plot off Burlington Pike. The request was made on behalf of QuikTrip, a convenience store chain based in Tulsa.
QuikTrip is the seventh-largest convenience store chain in the United States, operating over 1,100 stores nationwide, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores trade magazine. QuikTrip has the largest presence in the Atlanta, Dallas, Phoenix, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Tulsa metropolitan areas, among others. The proposed Florence could be the retailer’s second store in the Bluegrass State. Currently, the only other QuikTrip in the state is in Elizabethtown.
QuikTrip proposes redeveloping the property at 6808 Burlington Pike, situated at the intersection of Burlington Pike and Turfway Road. The site was formerly occupied by the now-vacant Frisch’s Big Boy, which closed in 2024. Nearby is a Remke Supermarket and the site of a 7 Brew that is yet to be constructed. The site is currently zoned for Commercial Services.
The proposal calls for demolishing the vacant Frisch’s to make way for a 6,445-square-foot convenience store, a fuel canopy with seven dispensing islands and 14 fueling stations, an air pump station, a dumpster enclosure and new landscaping – all while retaining the site’s three existing access points.
QuikTrip real estate project manager Gwen King spoke highly of the company, telling the commission she believes the brand is a natural fit for the community.
“We’re clean, we’re friendly, we provide great service, our merchandise and our selection, how we do it, where we’re located, and the atmosphere we provide,” she said. “One of the things that we think is very important is that we are a privately held company. This is not a franchise. We’re not just getting it set up and saying, ‘hey, hope everything works out.’ We are continually on the ground, making sure that our culture, our brand of excellence, is conveyed and operated in that store.“
The proposed building design received mixed feedback from several commissioners due to QuikTrip’s zero-curb frontage and protective bollards. King explained that the bollards are generally incorporated to make the store safer and more ADA-compliant.
Another central topic of discussion was traffic, as QuikTrip’s desired location is a busy intersection near on- and off-ramps for Interstate 71/75.
Clay Smith, a traffic specialist at Keck & Wood consulting firm, explained to the commission that convenience stores usually attract a large portion of “pass-by” trips—drivers already using nearby roads—rather than creating new traffic.
“If you think about a convenience store or a gas station, it is highly generated from pass-by trips, so not new trips – people typically will get gas on their way home from work, or as they run to get something to eat, or if they go to a supermarket, the Remke, or if they’re going to 7 Brew, they might stop by and get gas as well, so those are pass-by trip – someone’s going somewhere else, they stop by and get gas, and you’ll see how that kind of plays through here,” he said.
However, some commissioners raised questions about whether weekend and church-traffic had been assessed and how nearby developments, such as restaurants and other uses, might affect overall congestion. Seven Hills Church is located near the proposal site.
Nearby resident Carolyn Foltz was the only member of the public to speak during the public comment section of the hearing. Fultz said that while she personally enjoyed QuikTrip as a brand, she expressed concern over the impact increased traffic may have on the already congested roadways in the area.
“I’m concerned about the traffic,” she said. “I’m concerned about 7 Brew. The traffic that was on (US) 42 really affected Turfway. And there’s a lot of foot traffic going to Remke – I know you don’t see a lot of cars there, but there’s people walking over there from the apartments, either from behind Remke, or toward Boone County High School, and then down Turfway.”
The next step for QuikTrip’s proposal is for the planning commission’s zone change committee to deliberate it on Jan. 21 at 5 p.m. If it advances, the proposal will be heard before the full planning commission on Feb. 4 at 7 p.m.