Brandon council approves off‑sale liquor license award to QuikTrip; transfer process to follow

The Brandon City Council approved awarding the city’s available off‑sale liquor license to QuikTrip after hearing from company representatives and a rival bidder.

Zach Poggle, representing QuikTrip, and Joe Storz, QuikTrip district leader, told the council they expected the new location to generate substantial sales and tax revenue once open. Martin Tozer, representing Casey’s, urged the council to consider Casey’s local presence and readiness to open while noting differences in bid amounts.

Council members discussed revenue, timing tied to census counts and license allocations, and community fit before a motion to award the license to QuikTrip carried. The council directed staff to begin the required transfer process; the transfer will need a publication, a $150 transfer fee, a public hearing and submission to the state before it is finalized.

Why it matters: The decision determines which company receives the city’s limited off‑sale liquor authorization and affects local sales tax revenue and competition between two national convenience‑store chains with existing and planned Brandon locations.

Council discussion and vote Council staff told members that two bids for the license were opened on Sept. 9. The record shows a higher bid from QuikTrip ($26,000) and a lower bid from Casey’s ($15,000). Council members said they could exercise discretion in awarding the license and were not legally required to accept the highest bid, but many cited revenue and projected sales as major considerations.

After brief comments supporting both applicants, one council member moved to award the license to QuikTrip; another member seconded. The motion passed; the council did not read a roll‑call vote on the audio record provided. Council staff said they would start the transfer process immediately and place the transfer on the next meeting agenda for formal transfer procedures.

Applicants’ remarks Zach Poggle identified himself as appearing on behalf of QuikTrip and said the company had enjoyed working with the city and looked forward to expanding in Brandon. Joe Storz, who identified himself as the district leader for the area, said QuikTrip expected strong customer demand and referenced other nearby locations.

Martin Tozer, representing Casey’s, said Casey’s was already open at another Brandon location and reiterated the chain’s readiness to operate with alcoholic sales; he noted a discrepancy in bid amounts and urged the council to weigh continuous local service and earlier availability as factors.

Procedural next steps and timing City staff said the approved award is the selection; a formal license transfer requires publication, payment of a $150 transfer fee, a public hearing and submission to the state. The council also discussed that allocation of additional licenses depends on federal census numbers; staff estimated that any change in the number of licenses available could take effect after the next census updates (council discussion referenced 2026 or 2028 as possible timeframes). The transfer and publication steps will appear on the next council meeting agenda.

Votes at a glance - Action: Award off‑sale liquor license (selection of transferee) - Selected transferee: QuikTrip (highest bid recorded in the meeting materials) - Motion: to accept QuikTrip’s bid for the off‑sale liquor license (motion text as recorded in the meeting audio) - Mover/Seconder: not specified on the audio transcript - Vote: motion carried (audio records “all in favor, aye”; no roll‑call tally in the provided transcript) - Next steps: staff to begin transfer process (publication, $150 transfer fee, public hearing, submission to state)

What the council did not decide The council did not finalize the state transfer or the license issuance at the meeting. The formal transfer requires administrative steps and a subsequent agenda item and public hearing before the license takes effect.

Community context Council members noted the trade‑offs between awarding the license to the higher bidder and retaining longer‑standing local operators. Several members said they hope to see Casey’s considered again when and if additional licenses become available.

— Sources: Brandon City Council meeting audio and staff remarks as recorded in the meeting transcript. Direct quotes and procedural details are taken from the public meeting record.