who makes kwik trip pizza

We tried take-and-bake pizza from Piggly Wiggly, Kwik Trip and four other stores and ranked them

My living room was crowded with family and friends.

They were relaxing on the couch, leaning against pillows and enjoying pizza.

They were also completely silent. That's because a lot of diligent note-taking was going on at my pizza party.

"Wow, you guys are so serious," I joked.

"Well, you gave us a serious task," my sister-in-law, Annie, replied.

And she was right. I had given them a serious task — because pizza is serious business.

I had gone to six stores around Milwaukee — Sendik's, Piggly Wiggly, Walmart, Kwik Trip, Aldi and Meijer — and bought a take-and-bake pizza from each.

Most of the people I know — and most of the people at my pizza party — choose frozen pizza when they want a quick pizza meal at home.

Take-and-bake pizzas are similar to frozen in that you can buy them, take them home and bake them in the same amount of time. But, having been made onsite or nearby, they're fresher. The question I posed to my guests was, Are they better? And how do they compare to each other?

Eleven people taste tested each of the pizzas. Participants ran the gamut from my mom, who doesn't typically like non-homemade pizza, to a friend of my teenage daughter, who told me she's the pickiest pizza eater in her family, to my in-laws, who have never met a frozen pizza that has enough cheese, to an 11-year-old who I heard from a reliable source (her mom) has eaten an entire pizza herself.

The process

I didn't want anyone to assume Sendik's, the most expensive pizza of the bunch, would be better than Aldi, the least expensive. I also didn't want my dad and father-in-law, who love all things Kwik Trip, to be unfairly biased.

So I decided it should be a blind taste test, and that my older daughter — who couldn't participate due to food allergies — and I would be the only ones to know where the pizzas came from. I numbered the pizzas, and, aside from a brief moment of panic when I temporarily forgot which pizza I had in the oven, all went well.

Being first and foremost a mom who has planned countless sleepovers, birthday parties and family dinners, I took the age of my youngest participants into account and decided to go with the lowest common denominator when I chose the type of pizza from each store — cheese. That choice also worked out well for comparability's sake because, while there was a huge variety of toppings at the stores, the only pizza that was consistently available everywhere was cheese.

A few things became clear early on

The first was that our trio of 11-year-olds were the harshest critics.

As the kids chatted among themselves about the greasy cheese, soggy crust and general grossness of their least favorite pizza, the adults laughed at the bluntness of their comments. 

"Wow, you're harsh," said my 15-year-old daughter, Alex. 

"Well, next time, give us better pizza!" my 11-year-old, Wendy, shot back.

It also was clear in the early rounds of taste testing that the pizzas we had assumed would do the best because they cost more and were packaged more attractively would not be our front runners.

Alex and I giggled quietly in the kitchen while our partygoers exclaimed over how much they loved the relatively inexpensive Piggly Wiggly pizza, which had been packaged in an unassuming (and rather flimsy) plastic wrapping.

I also quickly realized that when you have a room of Wisconsinites, cheesiest will equal best.

Here was our verdict.

Winner: Piggly Wiggly

• The pizza is described as a deli-made 12-inch 5-cheese pizza.
• The cheeses are a mix of a 4-cheese blend, with the addition of cheddar.
• The price is $6.99.

The takeaway from this tasting? Wisconsinites love cheese, and that cheese doesn't have to look pretty.

Many of the pizzas had more than one cheese, but this was the only one with a "yellow cheese," as the kids described it — cheddar, to be specific.

I had the most difficulty cutting this pizza into slices to serve because the cheese was melting and oozing all over the place as I tried to pick it up.

That happened as people took slices to try as well. Fifteen-year-old Megan Hermes — who dismissed the advice to take a napkin when the pizza tasting first started — commented as she took a bite of the Piggly Wiggly pie, "OK, you guys are right, give me a napkin."

It turned out, though, that messy wasn't bad. After everyone grabbed napkins, they commented to each other on how much they loved the abundant and flavorful cheese.

My mother-in-law, Mary Schwabe, asked me if I had added cheese to the pizza. Adding cheese to pizza is standard practice in her household, but she was pleasantly surprised to find that this was the way the pizza came out of the package.

Second place: Meijer

• The brand is Always Fresh Take n Bake.
• The large cheese pizza weighs in at 1 pound and 12 ounces. 
• The price is $8.49.

The Meijer pizza also stood out for how cheesy it was.

The difference between this and the Piggly Wiggly pizza was the crust. My pizza tasters really liked the sauce and cheese distribution on the pizza from the Pig, but didn't have much to say about the crust. The Meijer pizza, on the other hand, had lots of cheese that didn't have as much flavor as the Pig pizza, but the crust was crisp and flavorful, according to commenters.

Kassidy Molumby, 15,  said, "The cheese was very good. It was like Pizza 3 (Piggly Wiggly) except with more white cheese. I loved it."

The younger kids also preferred the "white-cheese" Meijer pizza to Piggly Wiggly. In fact, they were the only ones who didn't like the Piggly Wiggly pizza.

The consensus from the younger ones: There is such a thing as too much cheese, when it's too greasy and too "yellow." But, when it's balanced by a hardier crust, lots of cheese gets the kid stamp of approval.

Third place: Walmart

• The pizza is a Marketside extra large (2 pounds, 7.1 ounces), traditional crust 5-cheese pizza. 
• The five cheeses are mozzarella, provolone, Monterey jack, Parmesan and Romano.
• The price is $5.

A pattern emerged as we started to descend down the rankings. Not enough cheese. Tasters weren't a fan of the amount of cheese on the Walmart pizza, but it was good enough to get higher than average marks because of a good sauce-to-crust ratio; a tasty, sweet sauce and a thick crust that was pleasantly chewy.

Tied for fourth place: Kwik Trip

• The brand is Kitchen Cravings Cheese Mountain Pizza.
• It's a traditional crust 2-pound cheese pizza. The cheeses are mozzarella and provolone.
• The price is $7.99.

People were disappointed by this one, not so much by the pizza (although they definitely didn't love it), but by the fact that it came from the much-beloved Kwik Trip, home of many of the tasters' favorite grab-and-go coffee, doughnuts and even pizza (as long as it's baked in-house apparently).

As much as my guests typically love Kwik Trip, its take-and-bake pizza just didn't have enough cheese. Or, more likely, just too much sauce. Either way, the sauce-to-cheese ratio was off. The tasters commented that they couldn't taste the cheese because it was overpowered by the sauce. And the taste of the sauce wasn't great. "It tasted weird," Kassidy said. Megan agreed. "The cheese was weird too. This was just weird."

Tied for fourth place: Sendik's

• The pizza is a 12-oz. Pinsa Romano Handmade Pizza.
• The crust is described as Old Romano style, and has four cheeses: mozzarella, ricotta, provolone and Parmesan.
• The price is $10.99.

The Kwik Trip experience taught us that too much sauce is a bad thing. The Sendik's pizza proved that too little sauce is just as unwelcome.

While most people didn't have a problem with the taste of the Sendik's pizza (except for one of our critical 11-year-olds, who called it "bad" and "horrible"), the lack of sauce had them questioning whether it could really be called a pizza.

"There was no sauce," said Mary. "It had plenty of cheese with good flavor. Maybe it was more of a quesadilla?"

Catherine thought it was more like a bagel or cheese balls, while my mom, Jean Euer, said it was more of a cheesebread. My husband, Jonathan Schwabe, agreed.

"It's more of a cheesebread than a pizza. It's not bad, it's just not pizza."

Last place: Aldi

• The pizza is a Mamma Cozzi's Pizza Kitchen 16-inch extra large with a traditional crust.
• It's a 5 cheese pizza (mozzarella, provolone, Monterey jack, Parmesan and romano).
• The price is $4.99.

If there's one thing I learned about pizza during my party, it's that I shouldn't underestimate the importance of any of its components. There can't be too much sauce. There can't be too little sauce. Clearly, there needs to be enough cheese.

And, for the Aldi pizza, the comments were all about the crust, which everyone thought was too doughy. My mother-in-law and I agreed that a take-and-bake pizza can't have such a thick crust because if you cook it long enough to crisp up the crust, you'll burn the cheese.

The bottom line: Take-and-bake or frozen?

There was a sharp delineation between the top three pizzas and the bottom three pizzas in our taste test, a distinction my husband described well. 

"The top three pizzas were better than frozen," he said. "For the bottom ones, you'd be better off buying frozen pizza."

And that's ultimately what families are interested in knowing. Most of my guests thought homemade pizza, takeout pizza and pizzeria pizza are all better than take-and-bake. But that's not the benchmark when you're just looking to feed your family a quick meal at home on a weeknight, or buy several pizzas to bake up for a bunch of kids during a sleepover.

When I asked the adults if they would buy take-and-bake over frozen, they said they definitely would buy their favorites as long as the price was right.

And it typically is — or at least close to it. A stroll down the frozen pizza aisle of Pick 'n Save revealed a range of prices for frozen pizza, from $2.49 for Roma to $10.99 for Brew Pub. The average price was $5.04, lower than the prices for the top ranking take-and-bake pizzas, but right around the same price as Walmart, the number 3 ranked pizza.

It's also worth noting that the take-and-bake pizzas were typically larger than frozen pizzas, so you're likely to get more 'za for your buck.

After our chat about the value of frozen vs. take-and-bake pizza, the party started to wrap up. My guests said their goodbyes and walked toward the door. As my in-laws got their coats on, I thanked them for coming. My father-in-law laughed and said he really enjoyed the experience and would be happy to help me rate any type of pizza any time.

As I smiled and opened the door for him, he stopped, turned to me, looked me in the eye and said, "Really. Any time. I'm serious."

Contact Amy Schwabe at (262) 875-9488 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @WisFamilyJS , Instagram at @wisfamilyjs or Facebook at WisconsinFamily .

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Kwik Trip Kitchen Cravings Cheese Mountain Pizza Review

by StevenHelmer

A review of the Kitchen Cravings Cheese Mountain Pizza that is available exclusively at Kwik Trip convenience stores.

Product Description: Cheese Mountain Pizza from the Kwik Trip Kitchen Cravings brand and sold exclusively at Kwik Trip convenience stores. I purchase a slice of this pizza about once a week (usually the sausage variety) for around $2.99 and, on occasion, will purchase an entire pizza for the family to enjoy (the price of the whole pizza does vary a bit depending on what kind of sale they happen to have going on at the time).

Better than Restaurant Pizza

I actually had an opportunity to try this pizza for free a couple years ago when I was picking up a gallon of milk on my way home from work and was offered a free sample. I was immediately hooked and have been routinely buying this by the slice and, on occasion, ordering whole pizzas ever since. In fact, when people ask me which restaurant offers the best pizza; this is the pizza I refer them to.

There are a couple things I like about this particular pizza. The first, as is usually the case, is the crust. The thicker crusted pizzas they offer have a fantastic flavor in the crust itself and are just the right thickness for me (not paper thin and not so thick it fills me up after only a couple bites). And, even though I don’t normally like thin crust, I will, on occasion at least, make an exception for this brand because their thin crust pizza is actually pretty decent too.

Another thing I really like about this pizza is it doesn’t skimp on the toppings. I picked up a slice of the sausage pizza earlier today and there was almost as much sausage on that one slice as what I would expect to find on an entire pizza that I would purchase elsewhere. This, to me, makes the pizza well worth the money I end up spending on it because it makes for a delicious and filling meal.

The sauce on this pizza is also something I found I enjoy. Granted, there might be a little too much of it (a problem with many pizzas). But, it has a good flavor to it. There’s a decent blend of seasonings in it and, unlike some other sauces, it isn’t too spicy. In other words, this is something even my very picky daughters would enjoy.

Final Opinion

More By This Writer

StevenHelmer, Thank you for practical information, pretty pictures and product lines. It's always convenient to know about the frozen pizzas that are as nice to look at as they are to prepare, serve and eat. In particular, I like the fact that thick- and thin-crusted varieties are competitive with one another.

What would you do with too much sauce on a pizza? It would bother me only if other ingredients were sacrificed.

I've seen the pizza at Kwik Trip, but never tried it. From your review, it sounds as if I am missing out!

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7 things people really love about QuikTrip

All year long,  Clark.com ‘s Michael Timmermann is sharing quick and easy ways to save money as part of our Michael Saves series. Check in every Monday as he puts new and familiar savings strategies to the test.  Sign up for our newsletter  to have these stories delivered to your inbox!

With more than 700 locations in 11 states, QuikTrip has become the go-to gas station convenience store for millions of American drivers who like to save money.

Fans say QT — based in Tulsa, Oklahoma — is so much more than just a place to buy fuel and a soda.

Read more:  7 of the best gas station loyalty programs

What you need to know about QuikTrip

According to its website , QuikTrip has grown to a more than $11 billion operation, making it one of the largest privately held companies in the United States.

Read on to learn some things you may not know about QT!

1. QT Kitchens makes a pretty good pizza

Gas stations aren’t usually known for high-quality food, but a lot of people give QT’s pizza great reviews. It’s sold by the slice or pie, currently $9.99 for an extra-large pizza.

The carryout pizza offer is available in all QT locations with a full-service kitchen, called QT Kitchens.

2. Pepsi AND Coke

If you drink Pepsi and your spouse likes Coke, you can both get what you want at QT. The company sells the rival brands in its soda fountains.

In fact, QT says it was the first retailer to offer self-service fountain drinks.

“Our water is chilled to 34 degrees and specially filtered to remove chlorine and other chemicals that break down flavor,” according to QT’s website. “Our ice is filtered the same way, and you can choose between cubed or crushed.”

The best deal on fountain drinks at QT is the Big Q, a 32 ounce beverage for only 79 cents.

To whoever posted the image of Pepsi AND Coke in the same fountain: I present the QuikTrip fountain. Crushed and cubed ice, many different drinks, and flavoring. from mildlyinteresting

3. Free air for your tires

Don’t like the idea of having to pay a buck to fill up your tires? Neither do we! Air is free at QuikTrip. Remember that keeping your tires properly inflated can improve gas mileage by up to 3%.

Here are five other ways to save money on gas.

4. QT sells Top Tier gasoline

QuikTrip guarantees that its motor fuel will not harm your engine. The company sells Top Tier gasoline, which has higher levels of additives for all grades of fuel — even the cheap stuff.

AAA says buying gas from Top Tier retailers, including QT, is better for your car. Here’s a list of places that sell it.

Watch: Is detergent gas better for your car? 

5. clean restrooms.

All travelers appreciate clean bathrooms, and it’s clearly a priority at QuikTrip. According to a GasBuddy survey, QT had the cleanest restrooms in nine states, the most of any brand.

Read more: The cleanest gas station restrooms in all 50 states

6. QT in the community

QuikTrip gives back to the communities where it operates by donating 5% of its annual net profit to charities, including by matching employee donations to United Way.

To submit a grant application for your 501(c)(3) agency, read more on QT’s website.

7. Good company to work for

Looking for a job? Many loyal employees say that QuikTrip is a great place to work. It ranked 68 on  Fortune’s list of the 100 best companies to work for in 2017.

Profit-sharing bonuses, job counseling and tuition reimbursement are just three of the perks.

Companies offering best job security: -QuikTrip -Southwest Airlines -Publix -Costco https://t.co/P4fs8Strf4 pic.twitter.com/0WqxMWewxK — Forbes (@Forbes) January 16, 2017

Read more:  Clark’s top 10 restaurant apps for free food and discounts

Final thought

If you stop by QuikTrip more often than just the occasional road trip, you may want to download the QT app for a free Big Q, plus special offers on other food and beverage items.

What’s your favorite gas station convenience store? Tell us on Facebook and Twitter!

Check out more from our Michael Saves series:

• How I paid off my $86,000 mortgage in 2 years
• 5 timeless tips from my grandmother that can save you money
• Simple budgeting trick to save 2 full paychecks in 2017

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CStore Decisions

Best of Pizza: Kwik Trip

By Isabelle Gustafson | April 30, 2020

“We just keep selling a lot of pizza,” said Kwik Trip Foodservice Director Paul Servais.

And for good reason. La Crosse, Wis.-based Kwik Trip, which operates more than 700 locations throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, sells delicious, high-quality pizzas from its central commissary, with a popular limited-time offer (LTO) program, in-store sampling and now, in select markets, delivery.  

Kwik Trip first partnered with Wisconsin-based delivery company EatStreet in August 2019 and, thanks to a “very positive” response, is now working to expand the program to all the markets where EatStreet operates.

“Wherever EatStreet is and Kwik Trip is, we deliver,” said Servais.

Although delivery has been trending all year, it’s especially valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

On March 17, Kwik Trip announced that it would waive all delivery fees through April so customers could more easily order food from the comfort and safety of their homes.

Driving Sales

LTOs are a great way to try out new trends and drive sales. If a pizza is really popular, Kwik Trip will bring it back again for a limited time or add it as a permanent menu item — which is what happened with its Mac and Cheese pizza, for example.

The current LTO is Four Cheese Margherita; it’s meat-free for the Lent season and comes on a wood-fired crust first introduced last year.

“You get a little bit of that charcoal-y wood flavor and a little thinner crust,” said Servais, adding that this crust is exclusive to the Four Cheese Margherita pizza.

“The other ones are just on traditional pizza crust, nothing fancy,” he said. “I know there’s still a lot trending out there with wheat-free or gluten-free crusts and things like that. But we haven’t dabbled in that yet.”

In an ideal world, he said, the Four Cheese Margherita will be out of stock by the end of April.  

“Since we control the production, we produce our own products in our commissary, we pick a number and say, ‘Let’s make 100,000,’” said Servais. “And when they’re gone, they’re gone.”

Next up, in late April, Kwik Trip will introduce a brand-new LTO pizza: Chicken Cordon Bleu, featuring chicken, ham and bacon on a ranch sauce with mozzarella and provolone cheese.

Past LTOs include the Meaty Italian and the Firehouse Pizza, which is topped with spicy Italian sausage over a layer of pepper jack cheese and roasted red peppers, zesty sauce and crushed red pepper flakes.

“Spicy keeps growing, or anything hot, because the younger, discerning palates, that’s what they like,” said Servais. “So anything you can do to get a little spice or a little heat into the product, people like that.”

To showcase new offers and LTOs, as well as demonstrate overall quality, Kwik Trip does a lot of in-store sampling.   In fact, the c-store chain hires people whose sole responsibility is to sample products. Allowing customers to try before they buy builds trust and, for Kwik Trip, has led to increased sales.

Yet, no matter the LTO or the latest trends, some customers just want the classics.  

“Pepperoni,” said Servais. “That’s what we still sell the most of.”

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'See ya next time': How a neighborhood grocery store grew into today's Kwik Trip phenomenon

What's so special about kwik trip, and why do so many people love this midwestern gas station and convenience store.

Design by Brooke Eberle, producer, Wisconsin Digital Optimization Team

There’s nothing more Wisconsin than a Kwik Trip. 

That is, until you take a look at the fan base and following that turned a convenience store into a phenomenon.

Fifty-seven years after the first Kwik Trip opened in Eau Claire, Kwik Trip has grown from that one neighborhood grocery store to a statewide obsession with its own personality across social media platforms.

The company has  Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , TikTok , YouTube and Snapchat  accounts. It even has a Spotify  account with more than 130 followers who can listen to the company’s "Kwik Trip Checkout" or "Chicken Jammies" public playlists. 

There are multiple fan groups on Facebook, including Wisconsin Kwik Trip Enthusiast Club, Kwik Trip Enthusiasts Club, and even a Kwik Trip Missed Connections group. Some fans have had photo shoots, even on their wedding days, at a Kwik Trip. It has become more than a store; it's a vibe.

The Wisconsin Kwik Trip Enthusiast Club, for example, was created two years ago and is not affiliated with the company. It has more than 94,000 members and dozens of posts daily, ranging from photos of favorite Kwik Trip treats, questions, memes and more.

So, how did Kwik Trip grow into a Midwestern phenomenon with a social media influencer status?

RELATED:  This Kwik Trip super fan made it her 2021 goal to visit Wisconsin's 457 Kwik Trips. She did it.

RELATED:  Valentine's Day: Check out these super Wisconsin love stories, from a Kwik Trip wedding photo shoot to brewery ceremonies

Keeping up with the Kwik Trips

Kendra Lasack, Kwik Trip’s digital content supervisor, said social media platforms have allowed the Kwik Trip team to bring the brand to life.

“It’s incredible how much we’re able to learn from our fans every day, just by engaging and listening to the conversations on social,” she said.

Lasack said the company has shifted its digital marketing strategy from focusing on the products to focusing on the people and developing a brand voice to bring a more human level to the company’s content. 

She said the company's success on social media reflects Kwik Trip’s mission to treat others as they would like to be treated. The team listens, takes time to reply and has fun with its followers.

And people have responded. Members of the social media fan groups talk about the company, highlight their favorite products, post original memes and share Kwik Trip’s content.

When USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin asked members of the Wisconsin Kwik Trip Enthusiast Club Facebook group what they like most about Kwik Trip, more than 400 people responded, including dozens of employees who are part of the group.

Their answers ranged from clean bathrooms to the food options and how friendly the employees are. Many like the "see ya next time" farewell as they leave a store. Fans from other states said they stock up on Kwik Trip goodies while they're in the area, as they can't find anything like it anywhere else.

Carrie Marie is from Yorkville, Illinois and travels to Friendship often. When she and her family are in Wisconsin, her two teenage boys have to stop at Kwik Trip twice a day, every day. She said her family has Kwik Trip hoodies and three Big Buddy cups in case they cross the border unexpectedly. Her children receive Kwik Trip gas cards from their grandparents.

They make you feel like a person in there and not just another customer.

Jaimee Arnold from Appleton said she loves Kwik Trip because of the company's high standards for cleanliness, someone is always willing to help, and guests can find a wide variety of "grab and go" options for whatever they're craving.

"They make you feel like a person in there and not just another customer," she said.

Emily Jean Weger from Watertown said she's been going to a Kwik Trip store since she was little, and now she takes her kids to the same store.

"There are employees who've been there the whole time and say 'I remember your mom when she was your age and smaller,'" she said. "That makes Kwik Trip a special place to me."

Take a Kwik scroll online

Fans also love the company's social media presence.

"Their social media person is phenomenal," said Kwik Trip fan Leah McDonald from Waukesha. "Really connects with the consumers."

Recently, when Kwik Trip ran out of coffee cups, the brand took to social media, saying another gas station took the cups . The problem was later explained as a supply chain issue . In lieu of disposable cups, Kwik Trip encouraged guests to bring their own cups for a 99-cent refill of any size, suggesting dozens of options ranging from a wheelbarrow, blender and fish bowl to a toilet plunger, Dumbledore's hat and a gas can.

The post was shared more than 17,000 times and collected more than 18,000 reactions and 3,700 comments.

"Great way to make lemonade from lemons," Christine Garchow from Portage commented on the post. "Thanks Kwik Trip!"

Wilson the volleyball and Forrest Gump's chocolate box both made the list, prompting a comment from Jimmie Kaska from Cadott:

"Did Tom Hanks steal the cups? Is that why we're using his volleyball and chocolate box to load up on coffee?"

Kwik Trip responded with a Tom Hanks gif.

Three days later, Kwik Trip posted a follow-up post to clarify some additional details.

"We didn't expect a post about cups to go viral," the post was captioned .

One of the frequently-asked questions was how long the refill deal would last.

"(I don't know) I just do social media," the answer stated. "At least a few weeks ... our cup guy is doing his best."

As to whether people could really bring in a wheelbarrow, the answer is no.

"Please no," said the follow-up, posted the day after the Super Bowl. "We know the initial post was a bit ridiculous, but it was cheaper than a commercial spot during the football game last night. Feel free to get creative with your mug, just make sure it's clean and safe for hot liquid. Also, let's not waste ... if you pour, you better drink."

Paige Forde, Kwik Trip’s social media specialist, said interacting with followers is extremely important to Kwik Trip.

“We love making our fans know they’re being heard, whether that means sharing their content, interacting with them, or passing these social listening trends forward to the appropriate department,” she said.

Some fans have captured their love of Kwik Trip on their wedding day, holding photo shoots both outside and inside of a store.

“We absolutely love seeing this content,” Forde said. “It’s incredible that so many of our loyal guests take the time to make a special ‘photo op’ trip to our stores during such a special day.”

Other interactions have included fans sending unusual direct messages to Kwik Trip’s social media accounts, and sometimes those fans screenshot the messages and share them.

Forde said those interactions provide opportunities for content, and they’re great ways to engage fans.

“The majority of the time, we go along with it,” Forde said. “I mean, it isn’t too often you can (direct message) a brand something obscure and they take the time to respond. It’s fun, it’s personal, and definitely gets people talking.”

It all started with one store

Kwik Trip started as a neighborhood grocery store, opening its first location in 1965 in Eau Claire. The second store opened in La Crosse in 1971.

“It was a humble beginning with painted letters cut out of plywood,” Kwik Trip owner Don Zietlow said. “These were all neighborhood grocery stores, and none of them sold fuel.”

The company opened a corporate office in La Crosse in 1973, and, by 1986, it had grown to 100 stores. Kwik Trip opened its 800th store in December and, according to the Wisconsin Technology Council, has nearly $7 billion in annual sales.

The success Kwik Trip found over the years has not been by accident. Zietlow, who is still the company's president and CEO, points to two main ingredients that contributed to Kwik Trip’s success: the right people and the ability to have products that guests want and are looking for and being able to offer them at a good deal.

Zietlow said Kwik Trip is able to offer quality products at good prices because of the company’s “vertical integration.” The company’s Glazer doughnuts, for example, are made in Kwik Trip’s own bakery, they’re shipped on Kwik Trip’s trucks, and they’re sold in Kwik Trip stores.

Be our guest

Zietlow said Kwik Trip’s employees set the company apart from the competition.

“People are our number one asset," he said. "There’s more to a job than pay. You need to feel like you are making a difference. That’s our mission, and that’s what our coworkers do every day.”

There’s more to a job than pay. You need to feel like you are making a difference. That’s our mission, and that’s what our coworkers do every day.

In the middle of a pandemic and worker shortages, many companies have had a hard time finding and retaining employees, but Kwik Trip hasn’t felt those hardships as much as some other businesses. Zietlow said the company and family is committed to their coworkers, and Kwik Trip shares 40% of its pre-tax profits.

And employees have felt that sentiment, saying they feel valued and respected at their jobs.

Kwik Trip employee Keith DeLabio from Kenosha said in the Wisconsin Kwik Trip Enthusiast Club Facebook group that he appreciates the 40% profit share, and that Zietlow calls his employees his coworkers and wears a Kwik Trip uniform every day instead of a suit and tie.

Denise Royea from Oconomowoc said the company treats all of its coworkers as family, and they're open with them about all of the ins and outs of the company, from where new stores will open to the the company's faults and areas for improvement. She said between informative meetings and employee programs, no one gets left behind.

“Our coworkers earn every penny,” Zietlow said. “We can’t thank them enough for the hard work they do, day in and day out.”

Michael James Luckow from Manitowoc said when he was first hired at Kwik Trip, the company told him people aren't customers, they're guests. While it was a strange concept at first, he quickly understood the distinction.

"They are guests in our store, and we take pride in them having a great experience, just as anyone would having guests over the holidays," he said.

Customer Coryn Burette from New London said Kwik Trip always has the nicest employees, even the ones working overnight shifts.

"They go above and beyond to make my visit nice and wonderful," she said.

Hunter Karraker from Shawano said a Kwik Trip employee knew she was pregnant before she did, after she had gone in for shakes every night for a week. Karraker said she told the employee she had been craving them, and the employee asked if she was pregnant.

"I got a test and sure enough, it came back positive," she said.

She said the workers began to recognize her, and when they would see her come in, they'd make sure there was fresh food out for her on the hot spot, a display where customers can find breakfast sandwiches, pizza slices and other warm food options that are ready to eat. Now that Karraker has had her baby, she said an employee asked her how they were doing.

"They definitely make me feel special," she said. "Kwik Trip is the best."

Some people love Kwik Trip so much, it becomes a birthday theme. Mitzie Murdock Klozotsky told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin she owns a custom baking business in Kaukauna, and a customer recently ordered a  Kwik Trip cake for a 40th birthday .

"Needless to say, Kwik Trip has a following unlike anything else when a milestone like a 40th birthday is celebrated with a Kwik Trip themed cake," she said.

Midwest is best

One of the most relatable parts of Kwik Trip is its roots in the Midwest.

“The majority of our content is based around what people think about our brand and relatable Midwest situations,” Forde said.

So, when there's a chance to merge some Midwest personalities, Kwik Trip is on it. The list of projects the Kwik Trip team works on is never-ending, and there are always new challenges that the team brainstorms in meetings.

Some of those projects have included partnerships through a brand ambassador program Kwik Trip started in 2019. Kwik Trip has worked with a few Midwest social media personalities like comedian Charlie Berens and Green Bay Packers players Rashan Gary and Kurt Benkert.

In 2020, Kwik Trip's team started brainstorming ideas to promote the company's Fresh Blends menu of smoothies, frozen lemonades, refreshers, iced coffees, cold brew coffee and shakes. In November, the company partnered with Berens and premiered a Berens Alexander on a "secret menu." It's a combination of caramel, chocolate, cream and cold brew.

“We’ve had the opportunity to work with truly amazing, authentic and talented people through this initiative and look forward to growing this network to reach even more unique audiences,” Forde said.

Kwik Trip is an influencer offline, too

The company is also committed to helping the communities it calls home. Kwik Trip donates to various community organizations and efforts, and it sponsors youth sports teams, large events and more. It also helps groups with fundraising options like car washes and scrip gift cards and more. It even encourages grade school students to read more with Kwik Book, a program that offers a free slice of pizza or a garden salad for each student who reaches a reading goal set by their teacher.

Many fans on Facebook said their favorite thing about the company was the donations and efforts to help people in need.

Chelsea Hall from Janesville said when she lost everything in a house fire two years ago, someone submitted her name for a donation program through Kwik Trip in Milton. She said it wasn't a lot, but every little bit made a huge difference.

"They support Special Olympics and are at almost every state tournament handing out water, Gatorade, fruit and cookies," said Sue Weber Dushek from Milwaukee. "The interaction between the employees and the athletes is an amazing thing to watch."

Gail Marie Benedict from Loyal said Kwik Trip came to her small town when the community had lost its grocery store, and Kwik Trip filled that gap, helped the community and brought jobs to the area.

Kwik Trip has filled community needs, too, especially in smaller areas with less access to grocery stores and other food options. Many fans said their Kwik Trip serves as their grocery store. Some said Kwik Trip opened in their area and filled a need when a grocery store had closed.

Kay Grosinske, who now lives in Texas, said while she misses Kwik Trip, she regularly visits the store when she's back home visiting family. She said her hometown got two new stores recently, and the company has donated a lot of food to the local community help center.

"Those donations alone spread a lot of love," she said.

Where do Kwik Trips come from?

Have you ever wondered how a Kwik Trip is born?

Dax Connely, Kwik Trip's real estate manager, said the company's real estate team chooses new locations based on an area’s population, traffic volume near a site and its accessibility, and more. The company is always looking to open in new markets throughout Wisconsin, he said.

The look of a Kwik Trip varies. Some are built from the ground up. Others have evolved from other stores. Connely said Kwik Trip has many stores that the company acquired over the years that don’t look like the typical Kwik Trip, but the company’s goal is to have its sites look similar. Locations may have their own uniqueness because of the landscape or land size, however, he said.

The newest Kwik Trip stores look a bit different than the long-standing sites. Connely said the  “Generation 3” stores have a new color schemes are larger at 9,000 square feet, and have more of a small grocery feel.

Kwik Trip has plans to grow, both inside and outside of Wisconsin. Connely said the company has plans to extend into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and also into the eastern edges of North and South Dakota in a couple of years.

When it comes to expansion plans, Kwik Trip fans approve.

"I just think Kwik Trip is the finest chain of gas stations in the entire United States of America," said customer Andrea Tamara from Sheboygan.

Contact Caitlin at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @CaitlinShuda .

Personal Pizza

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Kwik Trip serves 11.5 million customers a week at 872 stores. A by-the-numbers look at how that happens

K wik Trip's meteoric growth is hardly a secret − the La Crosse-based convenience store chain has doubled its locations in less than 10 years and now operates 872 stores in six states and employs about 38,000 people.

The company welcomes 11.5 million customers a week ‒ Kwik Trip likes to call them guests ‒ many of whom are regular customers drawn by the company's consistency across locations, its savvy social media presence and the friendliness of its employees.

Behind that success is a well-oiled machine, one that's responsible for the daily presence of Glazers and a host of Kwickery sweet treats, Nature's Touch milk and ice cream, the Hot Spot, ready to eat meals, salads and all the other items that help to set Kwik Trip apart from its competitors.

Get daily updates on the Packers during the season.

Almost 8,000 people work at Kwik Trip's 140-acre food production campus in La Crosse, producing those items and delivering them six days a week.

Here's a look at some of the numbers behind the operation:

A dairy that's more than just milk

About 15 trucks a day arrived at Kwik Trip's dairy last year from farms that are all within 150 miles of La Crosse, bringing in 4.8 million pounds of raw milk a day. The milk is pasteurized and homogenized five days a week.

Last year, Kwik Trip stores sold 25 million gallons of milk, but that's just one product made by the company's 150 dairy employees.

Fat removed from the milk is used to produce 8,000 gallons of ice cream a day in 24 rotating flavors.

The dairy also produces and packages non-dairy bottled drinks including orange juice and iced tea.

A bottle factory with a secret

Kwik Trip's DIY approach to food production and transportation includes a bottle factory within the 220,000-square-foot dairy that makes a range of bottles from pints to gallons.

Last year the company made more than 65 million jugs and bottles.

Each includes an imprinted reproduction of a smiley face that former CEO Don Zietlow used to draw when he announced employees profit sharing payments at the company's annual meetings. They can be hard to find on many bottles, but pop out readily on the bottoms of chocolate and strawberry

Millions of Kwik Trip Glazers

The Kwikery Bake shop cranked out about 45 million Glazer doughnuts in 2023. One way to picture that: Laid out end to end that could make a doughnut highway extending coast to coast.

Each box is hand-packed because the doughnuts are too fragile to be handled by machines.

And that's just one part of the story of Kwik Trip's sweets bakery. Other products made by the bakery's 320 employees include:

• Up to 275,000 Persians, Bismarks, and Long Johns a day.
• Up to 250,000 cookies a day
• 5 million cinnamon rolls a year

The sweets bakery is just one baking operation

Kwik Trip has a separate bakery for bread and rolls, where 117 people make 225 loaves of bread a minute and an astonishing 1,600 buns a minute.

That adds up to more than 170 million buns and 15 million packages of bread a year.

10 million pizzas a year is just a start

Pizza is just one of a host of items produced in Kwik Trip's commissary, where about 700 employees make burritos, take-home meals, salads, sandwiches, and ready-to-eat items for the stores' Hot Spots.

They also make Cheese Mountain pizzas - lots of them. Last year, the total was 10 million pies produced on a line that can make up to 50,000 pizzas a day. There's space and a plan to double that.

There will be no burrito shortage at Kwik Trip

A recent expansion of the company's burrito line doubled its capacity to about 90,000 burritos a day.

Hundreds of drivers deliver fresh food and more daily

Delivering fresh food, frozen products and everything else to stores six days a week means trucks and drivers, and Kwik Trip's got them.

Keeping the stores stocked is the work of 600 drivers who deliver products to retail locations with a fleet of 350 tractors and 250 trailers.

Not all of Kwik Trip's food and drinks make it to the customer

It's not uncommon for food businesses to sometimes have surpluses and Kwik Trip is no exception.

The company's retail operations partner with 14 regional food banks that received about 4 million pounds of food in 2023 and more than 20 million pounds of food since 2011.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kwik Trip serves 11.5 million customers a week at 872 stores. A by-the-numbers look at how that happens

Best pizza in Moscow restaurants

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The world's largest pizza was prepared in Rome in 2012. It was 13,580.28 square feet! By the way, it was gluten-free.

2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

Reviving classic Russian cuisine

Oct 19 2018.

Roads & Kingdoms talks to Russian chef Vladimir Mukhin of Moscow’s super-restaurant, White Rabbit.

Still in his mid-30’s, Vladimir Mukhin is already one of Russia’s best known chefs and the leading culinary light of the White Rabbit Group, which has 16 restaurants around the country. The most well-known of these, Moscow’s  White Rabbit , was named one of the 50 best restaurants in the world last year. Roads & Kingdoms’ Nathan Thornburgh talked to Mukhin in Moscow about being a fifth-generation chef, reviving classic Russian cuisine, and finding good product in the age of embargoes.

Nathan Thornburgh: Tell me about White Rabbit, what is the food? What are you trying to accomplish there?

Vladimir Mukhin: The White Rabbit is a big restaurant. We’re trying to revive Russian cuisine. I’m a fifth-generation chef, so I’m passionate about the food we create. During the Soviet Union period, we killed Russian food. Classic Russian recipes became too simplified. For example, usually you drink tea, but if you want to be, just to be creative, want to make the tea with milk, you can’t. It would be like stealing milk from the government. People went to jail.

When I was growing up, I remember my grandfather coming to the kitchen and crying because he couldn’t experiment with his food.

Thornburgh: Wow. I remember this famous photo session with Che Guevara which came up with some of his best pictures, maybe two incredible iconic portraits came from an entire roll of film, and the photographer went to him and showed him this roll of film and Che said, What the hell are you doing? You wasted all of these images. You took 30 pictures to get one? That’s the government’s film. It’s a similar mentality.   So you’re telling the story of a kind of cuisine that was lost on the Soviet history and now you’re playing with this idea of finding it again. What does your process look like? Do you get as many grandmothers as you can round up and just kind of shake recipes out of them? How were you doing this?

Mukhin: I just try to work with as many local farmers and producers as I can, so we can use as many Russian ingredients as we can.

Thornburgh: So this is a close relationship.

Mukhin: Yes. I traveled throughout Russia—not just the big cities, but also the villages to talk with older people.

Thornburgh: You know I think people don’t understand the vastness of Russia, and how big it’s collection of cultures and languages and cuisines is. What parts of the country influences your food?

Mukhin: I’m inspired by the whole country. It’s a big territory, and sometimes it feels like it’s too big. I try and use different techniques and ingredients from all over the country, which I think makes my menus distinct.

We have an a la carte menu with about 50 dishes of classical Russian food. Everything looks modern because I’m a young chef. But if you close your eyes and try these dishes, you’ll taste 100% classic Russian flavors.

I want to highlight all aspects of Russian cuisine. Before the Olympic Games in Sochi, we opened a restaurant there, not just to make money, but to expose people visiting for the Olympics to Russian food. That’s why we opened The Red Fox restaurant. It’s all about Russian ingredients.

Thornburgh: Sochi, at least when I’ve been there, is like a Miami Beach. It’s like a place to get pizza and sushi, and go to the nightclubs.

Mukhin: You been?

Thornburgh: Yeah.

Mukhin: It’s crazy.

Thornburgh: It’s a little crazy, but it’s interesting to bring in Red Fox and sort of say okay, because people are coming out, let’s bring Russia to Sochi.

Mukhin: It was incredible. We had thousands of visitors at the restaurant.  

Thornburgh: So you really looked internally for inspiration. Did working outside of Russia motivate you to focus on Russian cuisine?

Mukhin: Yes. I spent time working in Avignon, France. I worked with Christian Etienne, and he would make a special Russian meal once a year.  It was crazy.

Thornburgh: How was the food?

Mukhin: It was shit. I told him that I would cook real Russian food for him, and I did. I cooked borscht, blinis, and other classics. He liked it and said that once a year we should use my recipes, but with his influence. I agreed, and we went on to make amazing food. Eventually, I wanted to come back to my motherland. So I left and I started working on making White Rabbit a reality.

Thornburgh: When people go to White Rabbit, what are they going to find?

Mukhin: Someone once told me that there is a new Russian cuisine and an old Russian cuisine. I think Russian cuisine is going through an evolution. So I hope people will come and see evolution at White Rabbit.

Thornburgh: Great. Always good to end on an invite. Thank you.

Mukhin: Thank you so much.

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21 Things to Know Before You Go to Moscow

Featured city guides.

Shooter Files by f.d. walker

Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides

Apr 24 2017

City Street Guides by f.d. walker: A Street Photography Guide to Moscow, Russia

*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!

At over 12 million people, Moscow is the largest city in Russia and second largest in Europe by population ( Istanbul is #1). An urban, cosmopolitan metropolis with more than enough glitz and glam to cater to the elite, but without losing its fair share of Soviet era roughness around the edges. It can be fast paced, brash, busy, and trendy like other big cities, but it has its blend of West meets Russia atmosphere and beauty that provides plenty of unique interest. The Red Square is as famous as it gets, but there’s so much more to this city, including the most beautiful subway system you’ve ever seen. It would take years to capture all of Moscow, but that means you have an endless amount of areas to discover.

So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Moscow has to offer before you even arrive!

• Patriarch’s Pond
• Old Arbat Street
• Maroseyka Street
• Tverskoy Boulevard

Top 5 Street Spots:

1. red square.

The Red Square is the most famous square in not just Russia, but all of Eastern Europe. The name actually doesn’t come from the color of the bricks or communism, but from the name in Russian, Krásnaya, once meaning “beautiful” before its meaning changed to “red.” This large plaza is what you see on the cover of guide books and magazines for Moscow, with St. Basil’s Cathedral being the center piece next to Lenin’s Mausoleum surrounded by the Kremlin Wall. Of course, the Red Square attracts hordes of tourist due to the main attractions, but all that activity around an interesting atmosphere does provide street photo opportunities. It’s also the central square connecting to the city’s major streets, providing a good starting point to explore outward.

You’ll also find the popular pedestrian only Nikolskaya Street connecting the Red Square to Lubyanka Square. This line of expensive shops includes plenty of activity, while also leading you to another popular square. Filled with history rivaling any city, the Red Square and surrounding areas are the heart and soul of Russia.

2. Patriarch’s Ponds

Patriarch’s Ponds is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Moscow. Despite the name being plural, there’s only one large pond, but it’s worth a visit with your camera. It’s a popular spot for locals and expats to come relax or take a stroll around the pond. You get an interesting mix of young and old too, from young love to “babushkas” feeding pigeons. It’s a very peaceful park atmosphere in one of the nicer areas within the city center, while bringing enough activity for street photography. 

The pond is shallow and in the winter becomes a popular spot for ice-skating too. The area is also well-known for the location in the famous Russian novel, The Master and Margarita. 

3. Old Arbat (Stary Arbat)

Old Arbat is the most famous pedestrian street in Moscow, and dating back to the 15th century, also one of its oldest. Originally, it was an area of trade, but soon became the most prestigious residential area in Moscow. During the 18th century, Arbat started attracting the city’s scholars and artists, including Alexander Pushkin. Cafes lined the streets and impressive homes filled the neighborhood. Since then, New Arbat street was created as a highway in the area, while Old Arbat was paved for a 1km pedestrian only walkway.

Due to the historic buildings, famous artists that lived here, and the bohemian atmosphere, Old Arbat has become a big attraction for tourists today. Now, there’s a mix of cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, street performers, street merchants and other attractions for visitors, and some locals, to come enjoy. It can get really busy here and there’s usually something interesting going on so it’s a good street to come walk with your camera for guaranteed life.

4. Gorky Park

One of the most famous places in Moscow is Gorky Park. The official name is Maxim Gorky’s Central Park of Culture & Leisure, which gives you an idea of what goes on here. When built, it was the first of its kind in the Soviet Union. Divided into two parts, it stretches along Moscow River. One end contains fair rides, foods stands, tennis courts, a sports club, a lake for boat rides, and more. This end brings more active life due to its number of attractions, while the other end is more relaxed, where you’ll find gardens, trees, older buildings, and an outdoor amphitheater.

Gorky Park attracts mostly locals so it’s a good spot to capture the non-tourist side of Moscow life. Muscovites come here to escape the city and unwind in a picturesque setting. The park remains alive outside of the warmer months too, especially when the lake turns into the city’s largest outdoor skating rink. I’d recommend taking the metro out here to spend at least half a day exploring the massive park’s life with your camera.

5. Maroseyka Street

Maroseyka Street is a popular area not too far from the Red Square. The long, winding street turns into Pokrovka and is lined with restaurants, cafes, bars and places to stay. It’s actually where I like to stay when I’m in Moscow due to its location and solid street photography opportunities itself. You have Kitay-gorod station near and if you keep walking southwest, you’ll get to the Red Square. But if you walk northwest, as it changes to Pokrovka, you can find a long street of activity for photography with its own interesting atmosphere.

6. Tverskoy Boulevard

Tverskoy Boulevard is the oldest and longest boulevard in Moscow, beginning at the end of Nikitsky Boulevard, and finishing at Pushkin Square, a spot to come for activity itself. The boulevard is made up of two avenues, with pedestrian walkways in-between. You’ll find grass, shrubbery, trees, benches and more walking it’s almost kilometer length. Many people come here to enjoy some relaxation, walk their dog, or just to use it to walk wherever they’re going. Its center location also provides a nice place to walk with your camera near plenty of other spots you’ll want to check out anyway.

Sample Street Walk:

For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Moscow:

• Start your morning walking around the Red Square (1), while exploring the surrounding area, including Nikolskaya Street
• Then walk northwest to Patriarch’s Ponds (2) and slowly walk the pond and surrounding area with your camera
• Next, walk east to the Pushkin Monument and stroll down Tverskoy Boulevard (6)
• Once Tverskoy Boulevard (6) ends, it will turn into Nikitsky Boulevard. Follow this down until you get to the start of Old Arbat Street (3), across from Arbatskaya station
• After you’re done walking down Old Arbat Street (3) for more street photography, spend some time checking out Moscow’s beautiful metro stations
• To finish off the day with more street photography, get off the metro near Red Square (1) again, Maroseyka Street (5) or wherever you’re staying for the night.

3 Things I’ll Remember about Shooting in Moscow:

1. museum metro.

The Moscow metro system was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union and today includes 203 stations across 340km of routes. The elaborate system has some of the deepest stations in the world too, with escalators that seem to go on forever. None of this is what makes it so special, though. Many of its stations feel like stepping inside a museum, making it without a doubt the most interesting and beautiful metro system I’ve been in.

When built, Stalin wanted to make the metro stations “palaces for the people” with marble, chandeliers, and grand architecture. The best part is the variety of architecture and styles used, making many of the stations a completely different experience visually. You could easily spend a whole day traveling the stations and there are even tours available for people who wish to do just that. My advice, though, would be just to buy a ticket and hop on and off at different stations, while exploring different lines. The museum-like surrounding mixed with the crowds of characters can make for a great photography experience.

Since there are so many stations, here are some of my favorites to check out:

• Novoslobodskaya
• Mayakovskaya
• Elektrozavodskaya
• Komsomolskaya
• Ploschad Revolyutsii
• Dostoyevskaya
• Prospekt Mira

2. Moscow is Big

It’s no secret that Moscow is a big city, but it can feel even bigger with how spread out much of it is. This is especially true if you compare it to cities outside of Asia. If I compared it to cities in Europe, I’d probably say only Istanbul would warrant more time to really discover the depths of this city. Most only explore around the Red Square and surrounding area, but that is such a small part of the city. Although, that central area does give you plenty to see on its own.

Fortunately, I had a good friend living in the city to show me around, but it opened up my eyes even more to how much there is to discover in Moscow. It’s a big city with a variety of atmosphere that can take you from “east” to “west” and trendy to rugged depending on where you go. I’d imagine you’d have to live here a while to really know the city.

3. Cosmopolitan Mix of East meets West

Modern skyscrapers mixed with amazing architecture, a world-class metro system with museum-like beauty, trendy fashion and chic clubs, Moscow is a rich mix of Russian culture and history in a more western cosmopolitan package. There is a push to keep the Russian culture, while also pushing forward with a modern metropolis the whole world will envy. This comes with an impressive skyline, that continues to grow, and endless modernities, but with soviet nostalgia and atmosphere mixed in for good measure.

Mixed in with this grand western cosmopolitan atmosphere, is a strong national pride in Russia. This includes their famous leader, Vladimir Putin. Maybe no other place will you see a country’s leader more often. All over, from the pricey tourist shops to the underground walkway stalls, you’ll find goods with Putin’s likeness covering them. From t-shirts to magnets to Matryoshka dolls. There’s a strong national pride that can be seen around the city, which also extends to their leader. Moscow is many things. It’s East meets West, modernizations meets Soviet era, and a whole lot more.

What To Do For a Street Photography Break?:

Eat at a stolovaya.

Stolovayas are Russian cafeterias that became popular in the Soviet days. You grab a tray and walk down the line of freshly prepared local dishes, and select whatever you want from the chefs. They’re usually inexpensive and a much better value than restaurants, while giving you the opportunity to try from a wide selection of everyday Russian food. They’re also very tasty. I always include some borsch on my tray and go from there. The places themselves are all over Moscow and usually come with Soviet-era aesthetics to complete the experience.

Street Safety Score: 7

*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!

Being the 2nd largest city in Europe with over 12 million people, you’re going to have your dangerous areas, but for the most part, it feels safe walking around. Russia is statistically higher in crime compared to most of Europe, but this generally doesn’t apply to tourists and visitors. Around the Red Square and surrounding city center, you should feel completely safe walking around. Pick pocketing can happen, but no more than other touristic places. I always explore Moscow freely without coming across too much to worry about. It’s a spread out city, though, so of course it matters where you are. Just use basic street smarts, know where you are and Moscow shouldn’t give you a problem. 

People’s Reaction Score: 7

Moscow is fast paced, big city life, which usually means people aren’t too concerned with you, or your camera. I don’t find people notice or pay much attention to me when I’m out taking photos in Moscow. For the most part, people just go about their day. You shouldn’t get too many looks or concern. But it can depend on the area you are in. The more you stick out, the more you might get noticed with suspicions. I’ve never had any problems in Moscow, or Russia, but just be careful who you’re taking a photo of if you get out of the city center. Other than that, it’s about average for reactions. 

Street Tips:

Learn the alphabet .

Much of Moscow, including the metro system, doesn’t use english. The Russian alphabet uses letters from the Cyrillic script, which if you aren’t familiar with it and don’t know the sounds, can be hard to decipher the words. This is most important for street names and metro stops when trying to get around. It can save confusion and make it easier getting around if you learn the basic alphabet. At the very least then, you can sound out the words to see which are similar in the english conversion, which can help matching them to maps. When out shooting street photography, getting around is as important as anything. So save yourself some time and frustration by learning the Russian Alphabet.

Use the metro

While Saint-Petersburg feels very walkable for a city its size, Moscow can feel very spread out, even for its bigger size. Outside of the Red Square area, you can have plenty of walking before getting anywhere very interesting, so you’ll need to take the metro a lot if you really want to explore the city. Maps are deceiving here too, it will always be further than it looks.

Another reason it’s less walkable than Saint-Petersburg is its completely different set-up. Moscow’s streets are mostly contstructed in rings with narrow, winding streets in-between. This is common with medieval city cities that used to be confined by walls, but you usually don’t have it in a city this massive. Saint-Petersburg has a more grid-like pattern that also uses the canals to help you know your way around. When it comes to navigating on foot in Moscow, it can be more difficult, so bring a map and take the metro when needed. It’s why Moscow’s metro carries more passengers per day than the London and Paris subways combined.

Explore other areas if you have time

Moscow is really big. While most people stay around the Red Square within the Boulevard Ring, there’s so much more to the city. I covered some other spots outside of this circle, but if you really want to see the city, you’ll need time. If you do have time, some other areas I’d check out first are Zamoskvarechye, along some of the south and western Moscow.

Inspiration:

For some more inspiration, you can look through the Street Photography of Moscow photographer Artem Zhitenev  and check out 33 of my photos taken in Moscow .

Conclusion:

Moscow’s name brings a certain mystique, but once you’re there it might bring a different atmosphere than you expect. It’s big and sprawling, but beautiful in many ways. It can feel like a European capital on a grand scale, but you can definitely find its Russian side in there.

The urban sprawl of Moscow can be intimidating, but give it enough time and you’ll be rewarded with plenty to discover. All with the world’s best metro system to take you around.

I hope this guide can help you start to experience some of what Moscow contains. So grab your camera and capture all that Moscow has to offer for Street Photography!

If you still have any questions about shooting in Moscow, feel free to comment below or email me!

(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)

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