i live dangerously close to KQ, and I've never had a bad experience there. Yes, you do pay retail, but there are no sales taxes at the shop itself. It can get busy in the summer and fall with the tour buses, but the staff in the store is cheerful and the folks you talk to from the online store do their best to be helpful. Plus, they treat my husband as a real customer if he approaches the cutting table with a pile of bolts. (Sadly, in this day and age, it doesn't always happen.)
hugs,
Charlotte