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.
Quick Overview:
- Pilot Company has launched a new food service program and plans to roll it out across its network of more than 900 travel centers starting this spring. Sean Marrero, the company's senior vice president of food and beverage, revealed this information in an interview with C-Store Dive.
- The program includes two food service models: Pilot eats, an in-store dining model with fresh food made on-site; and Pilot eats Express, which focuses on a grab-and-go convenience menu. Pilot has already launched the program earlier this month at itstwo new travel centersin Chicopee, Massachusetts, and Ponce de Leon, Florida.
- Although Pilot has offered meals at its travel centers for years, Marrero said the new program "represents a shift from simply providing food to truly meeting drivers' needs."
In-Depth Analysis:
Food service has been a key component of Pilot's "New Horizons" program, a $1 billion investment that began nearly four years ago to renovate approximately 400 of its locations.
When the "New Horizons" program was first launched, Pilot stated that the renovations would provide more space for fresh food. Some locations not only underwentfull kitchen overhauls, but also added counters dedicated to Pilot's PJ Fresh fast-food concept, which was originally introduced in 2013.
As the "New Horizons" program continues to progress—with 200 locations renovated as of April 2025—Pilot is adjusting its food service direction.
The new Pilot eats model expands on the existing hot deli menu, adding hand-stretched pizzas and a new Southern-style chicken sandwich. Meanwhile, Pilot eats Express offers traditional grab-and-go items, including pizza, chicken wings, chicken tenders, wrapped sandwiches, and various sides.
Marrero said the new program allows Pilot to "identify for customers which locations offer the food they need, establishing a unified standard." He added that Pilot is already exploring adding new products to the program.
"This is not just a new menu, but a complete rethink of the experience, from recipes to packaging to how food fits into drivers' daily routines," Marrero commented.
Pilot is not the only large convenience store retailer going all-in on its own new food service program. Its East Coast competitor GPM Investments is in the early stages of rolling out itsFas Craves program, which focuses on cold and hot ready-to-eat products. GPM has stated that its ultimate plan is to expand Fas Craves to approximately 1,200 of its convenience stores.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly described how the Pilot eats program operates.