Foodservice
Chestnut Market Appoints Ben Lucky as First Director of Foodservice
Chestnut Market announced on Monday that it has hired Ben Lucky as its first Director of Foodservice. Lucky will be responsible for the strategic development and operational execution of the foodservice platform across the company's approximately 80 stores in New York State, New Jersey, and Connecticut, with a focus on menu development, kitchen design, team training, and supplier partnerships. Previously, Lucky served as Senior Director of Fresh Food at 7-Eleven for about a year, departing in late 2025.
Wetzel's Pretzels plans to double convenience store locations within two years
Wetzel's Pretzels plans to double its number of locations inside convenience stores over the next approximately two years. The company began expanding into the convenience store channel five years ago and currently has 20 locations, with another 10 to 15 in development. Its small store-in-store model, featuring a streamlined menu and lower food costs, has been introduced at retail points such as Shell, 76, and Exxon, with plans to expand into several new states.
Global Flavors: New Growth Opportunities for Convenience Stores
Global-flavor foods (including imported products and localized international cuisines) are growing strongly in food retail, with 82% of category growth coming from this segment. If convenience stores combine demographic trends, seasonal occasions, and health attributes, and systematically arrange their cold cases, shelves, and fresh-food areas, they can achieve sustained sales growth.
Casey's, Built on Pizza, Now Pushes into Chicken Wings
Casey's General Stores announced on its third-quarter earnings call plans to roll out its chicken wings product line to all of its more than 2,900 stores. Since its pilot launch in Des Moines, Iowa, in January 2025, the product has expanded to over 550 stores and has driven in-store sales growth.
Tri Star Energy Launches Private Label Snack Line Daily Favorites
Tri Star Energy announced on Wednesday the launch of its private label snack line Daily Favorites, featuring chips, jerky, snack cups, popcorn, and candy bars, which will be sold at its various convenience store brands. This move aims to improve control over ingredients, packaging, and costs, while addressing the growing consumer demand for value.
Loop Neighborhood Market Partners with Krispy Krunchy Chicken to Introduce Hot Food Menu at 12 Stores
Loop Neighborhood Market has partnered with Krispy Krunchy Chicken to offer the fried chicken brand's complete hot food menu at 12 California stores, integrated into the Loop app. The collaboration covers multiple cities including San Francisco and Sacramento, representing the latest move by convenience stores to respond to the rising share of food service.
Pilot Company to Fully Upgrade Food Service Offerings Across All Locations
Pilot Company is making a major strategic shift in its food service, introducing a new dual-track dining program called Pilot eats and Pilot eats Express, with plans to expand it to over 900 travel centers nationwide starting in spring 2025. The program is seen as a significant extension of the company's $1 billion 'New Horizons' renovation initiative, marking a transition from simply providing meals to more deeply aligning with driver needs.
BrakeTime Signs Franchise Agreement with Little Caesars to Expand Convenience Store Food Service Footprint
BrakeTime Corner Market has entered into a franchise partnership with Little Caesars, with the first two locations set to open in Texas, as part of the company's strategy to strengthen its food service offerings.
GPM Brings Foodservice Convenience Store Concept to Kentucky
GPM Investments opened its first Fas Craves foodservice convenience store in Hazard, Kentucky, located inside the newly renovated Apple Market, which officially opened on February 12, becoming the sixth location of its proprietary foodservice program. Parent company Arko Corp. announced on Monday that it plans to expand to an additional 20 to 25 stores before rolling out to all 1,200 company-operated locations.
The core of profit relies on a laminated recipe card: the digital gap in convenience store food service
Food service in U.S. convenience stores accounts for 27.7% to 28.7% of in-store sales, contributing nearly 40% of gross profit, yet operations still depend on laminated recipe cards. The industry is at a critical juncture of transitioning from analog management to digital recipe systems.