NEW YORK (AP) — Americans who think of petrified hot dogs, frozen burritos and salty snacks when they imagine buying food at a gas station or truck stop may be in for a pleasant surprise during their next road trip. I don’t know. Convenience stores in the United States are increasingly offering them. — not necessarily healthy — options.
From 7-Eleven to regional chains like QuikTrip, industry-known c-store operators are looking overseas for takeout inspiration, adding sit-down seating to some stores. and is expanding its coffee menu. The company aims to compete with Starbucks and experiment with tailored meals for busy families.
The move comes as convenience stores look for ways to make up for weak sales of cigarettes, maps and soft drinks. By tantalizing customers’ taste buds with fresh deli sandwiches and build-your-own burgers, this humble food mart offers an alternative to fast-food restaurants for busy Americans looking for easy, interesting, and cheaper meal options. I want to be present.
“It’s been a long, decades-long journey from food that seemed hopeless to destination,” said Jeff Leonard, vice president of strategic industry initiatives at the National Association of Convenience Stores. he said.
Once known as breakfast and lunch joints, convenience chains like Wawa, which has more than 1,000 stores on the East Coast, and smaller operators like York, Pa.-based Rutter’s, , has expanded into dinner time offering chicken and fish dishes. Rutters, which operates 90 stores, is planning new store formats with expanded seating as it adds 50 new stores over the next five years.
Casey’s General Stores, the nation’s third-largest convenience store operator with 2,500 stores primarily in the Midwest and South, introduced warm chicken, pork and hamburger sandwiches on brioche-style buns this year. The company, already known for serving customer-pleasing pizzas, has created a limited-time menu that includes pies and sliders made with smoked pulled pork, barbecue sauce and pickles.
“We’re still working like a restaurant, just as we always have, but now we’re doing it even more,” said Carrie Stojak, vice president of brand and strategic insights for the Iowa-based chain. ” he said. “Prices are really going up. So what’s happening now is convenience stores are becoming a viable option for guests.”
In response to that quest, convenience stores are expanding their delivery services to build on the customer base they acquired during the coronavirus pandemic. 7-Eleven plans to roll out its delivery app 7Now nationwide, allowing users to have pizza, the chain’s signature Slurpee, and thousands of other products delivered to their door.
The country’s largest convenience store chain, owned by Japan’s Seven & i Holdings, sells chicken teriyaki, rice balls, miso ramen, sweet chili crisp wings and more at select U.S. stores and recently acquired Speedway and Stripes stores. We offer carefully selected Japanese products. Travelers visiting Japan and Hawaii often react with envy and amazement when they taste what’s on offer at a 7-Eleven in Tokyo or Honolulu.
The chain’s North American subsidiary said it works with some of the same food manufacturers and kiosks that serve 7-Eleven Japan. That includes Warabeya, which is expanding its U.S. operations to deliver fresh produce to stores and offer assortments tailored to local tastes.
“Our team draws inspiration from around the world and introduces new products such as tagine mangonada donuts, barbecue pork sliders, chicken curry bowls, and breakfast sandwiches,” the subsidiary said, declining a request for an interview. He later said in a statement.
Earlier this month, Seven & i Holdings Inc. announced plans to close 444 stores in the United States due to weak sales, inflationary pressures and an accelerating decline in cigarette purchases. The company is also accepting an acquisition offer from Alimentation Couche-Tard, the Canadian owner of Circle K convenience stores.
Attractive convenience food is nothing new and varies greatly by region. Buc-ee’s, a Texas-born chain with 50 locations across the South, has become a cult favorite among fans who stop by regularly for snacks like breakfast tacos and caramel-coated corn puffs called Beaver Nuggets. I’m proud.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania residents should try the Wawa (a hot turkey sandwich with stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce, they advise, the Gobbler), the Sheet (a hot, customizable selection of We are happy to discuss the relative merits of the dishes (extensive menu includes breakfast). Landhope Farms is popular for its hand-dipped ice cream cones and milkshakes.
On TikTok and YouTube, videos of people eating nothing but convenience store food all day or sampling dishes from different chains are helping drive interest in food on the go.
Anderson Nguyen, 26, a San Francisco-based TikTok content creator, tried the chicken and macaroni and cheese from Krispy Crunchy Chicken, which operates most of its stores inside gas stations and convenience stores.
“I don’t usually buy things at convenience stores,” Nguyen said. But he said his experience with Krispy Crunchy Chicken might make him reconsider.
Coronavirus has created a unique role for this sector. While most restaurants temporarily closed during the height of the pandemic, many convenience stores remained open.
Non-fuel sales at U.S. convenience stores rose 36% between pre-pandemic 2018 and last year, from $242 billion to $242 billion, according to an analysis of sales data from nearly 20,000 stores by the National Convenience Store Association. This has increased to almost $328 billion. Over the same period, cigarettes as a percentage of sales decreased from 31% to 20%.
By expanding their food selections, convenience stores risk taking business away from fast-food chains like McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s, which have taken advantage of summer sales to revive sales, experts say.
Jonathan Raduns, CEO of food merchandising at retail consultancy Merchandise Food LLC, conducted an online sampling of similar products offered at certain fast food restaurants and convenience chains and found that convenience store food Turns out it’s actually cheaper.
For example, a large pepperoni pizza at Casey’s in London, Ohio costs $13.99, while a similar pizza at Domino’s Pizza costs $14.99. Additionally, at Parker’s Kitchen convenience store chain in Savannah, Georgia, a large coffee was sold for $2.49, while at a Starbucks in the same area, the same size coffee was sold for $3.48.
Arko, a Virginia-based convenience chain that operates stores with signs like 1-Stop and ExpressStop, focuses on being an affordable alternative. Earlier this year, the company launched a 12-inch pizza it called “Inflation-Breaking” for $4.99 for members of Alco’s free loyalty program and $7.99 for non-members.
“It took us months to come up with something that was high quality and that people could actually buy,” said Ally Kotler, CEO of Arco Corporation.
Nutritionists and groups like the American Heart Association are encouraging gas station retailers to focus on healthier fruits and other fresh foods.
Kristen Lorenz, a registered dietitian in private practice in Grand Rapids, Michigan, said ready-to-eat food companies are adding healthier options like lettuce wraps and yogurt parfaits. Previously, prepared food consisted of meat on rollers and pizza that looked “dry and wrinkly.”
Lorenz’s favorites are Sheets and Wawa’s customized sandwiches.
“Everyone has to gas, everyone has to eat,” she said. “So it’s good to have a variety of healthy options for Americans to choose from. And the great thing about these stores is that they still have traditional items that make road trips fun. You can get a little bag of chips.”
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AP Food Writer DeAnn Durbin in Detroit contributed to this report.
