C-Stores Increasingly Winning the Foodservice Battle

[Posted to CSP Daily News]

A workforce shift that's increasing the number of work-at-home people, combined with pricing increases is causing restaurants to lose ground. This has allowed convenience stores with foodservice offers to pick up additional customers.

Foodservice industry watchers have been buzzing about the recent downswing in restaurant traffic, particularly at lunch, and are pointing to signs that convenience stores are better positioned than ever to benefit.
Last month, a new Technomic consumer study on the lunch daypart reported that the frequency of lunchtime visits to restaurants is down by 5% since 2014. … Also, the latest increase in menu prices have restaurants feeling the pinch; NPD reported that at some restaurant categories, lunch-menu prices have jumped by about 5% over the threshold that consumers identify as the sweet spot between “affordable to eat there” and “good value for the money.”

Combined with the "roller-grill allure" that CSP also reported on back in May of this year, wherein "42% of consumers say they are likely to visit a c-store for prepared foods if roller-grill items are available," it seems like a prime time to make sure your roller grill offerings are up to snuff to make sure you're grabbing all the customers you can. Keep things clean and attractive; don't let your roller grill products lose their visual appeal by sitting too long on the grill. 

Read more at CPSDailyNews.com

Global Flavors Entering C-Stores

[Posted CSP Daily News]

Van's Kitchen reports that global flavors, particularly Asian flavors such as rice bowls, hot soups, and salad bars, continue to trend upwards and are "almost mainstream" in the c-store foodservice industry.

According to its State of the Snack Food report, sushi has seen incredible growth in the c-store arena, with a 13.1% dollar sales growth over other over other snack food items such as jerky (12.6%), bakery snacks (11.6%), breakfast wraps (10.3%), and even pastry items and doughnuts (5.6%).

Snacking is also up, especially later in the day, with the portability of snack items playing a role in that category's increase. 

According to IRI’s report, snacking occasions have increased in the afternoon (69%) and evening (55%) compared to other times of day, making lunch and dinner-food options, including savory appetizers, more enticing to consumers.

Portability plays a role in the snacking growth. According to Technomic, three-fifths of consumers (60%) cite portability as an important or extremely important reason for choosing a snack.

Read more at CSPDailyNews.com

Competing with QSRs (Not So Hard, Really)

[Posted by Maureen Azzato to NACS Online]

Making the case for why convenience stores are better at serving their customers, this article points to an all-dayparts, multiple category advantage that c-stores have over quick-service restaurants–something that operators shouldn't forget about as they strategize how to stay competitive against QSR pricing promotions.

While it takes a lot of discipline for convenience stores not to chase every QSR price promotion, Higgins said it is critical to remain focused on your strategy and to remember —and remind your customers —what makes convenience stores unique. "C-stores take care of people’s needs 24/7 in every daypart," he said. "In fact, in the morning a customer can buy breakfast, but can also buy their lunch for later in the day or groceries for dinner, not to mention fuel, lottery, cigarettes...QSRs can’t do that. We have to better leverage the aspects of our business that differentiate us."

Read more at NACSOnline.com

How to Promote Roller Grill & Pizza

Buoyed by a constant stream of new products and equipment upgrades as well as focus on time-tested procedures, roller grill and pizza continue to appeal to convenience store customers.

[Posted by Marilyn Odesser-Torpey to Convenience Store Decisions]

“Roller grill remains one of the top foodservice categories in convenience stores,” said Brad Duesler, president and CEO of Middleton, Wis.-based Food Concepts Inc., a retail merchandising solutions provider. “The number of grills that are put into stores increases by more than 5% annually.”

Read more at CstoreDecisions.com

How To Heat Up Sales With Hot Dogs | CStoreDecisions.com

[Posted to Convenience Store Decisions by Marilyn Odesser-Torpey]

With the emphasis on fresh, “better-for-you” and made to order, the roller grill is vying to compete for prime counter space at c-stores.

Learn about the importance of condiments and additional offerings to make your roller grill stand out from the competition.

Chiovera pointed to Sheetz [and Sonic Drive-in]. “Both of these companies have taken hot dogs to the next level,” Chiovera said. “There are endless possibilities to offer high quality products and create a real point of difference from competitors.”

Even without a big ad budget or the latest ordering technology, convenience stores can take roller grill dogs to the “next level” with a well-stocked condiment bar, Chiovera noted.

Read more at CStoreDecisions.com

This is what a Mexican hot dog tastes like, and it's a real 'dreamboat' | SheKnows.com

Photo credit Ellen Silverman

Pati Jinich's hot dog recipe comes straight out of Mexico and could not be more authentic

[Posted to SheKnows.com by Adriana Velez]

Back when Jinich wrote her first book, the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning host of Pati's Mexican Table stuck to the classics, not veering far from what's considered traditional. But Mexican food has always been about mixing it up. It's a hybrid culture that birthed a hybrid cuisine. So in her second cookbook Mexican Today, Jinich explores the exciting possibilities.

Read more at SheKnows.com

7 Best Practices for Foodservice Teams | CSP Daily News

[Posted to CSPDailyNews.com by Jennifer Bulat]

Strong business focus, hiring and managing of great people top consultant’s list

“Average is over.”

In today’s hypercompetitive foodservice space, being average is a death sentence, said Jim Sullivan, founder and CEO of Sullivision, a consultancy that works with retail or foodservice brands with at least 50 units in operation.

Average today “means you’re either best of the worst or the worst of the best,” Sullivan said.

Read more at cspdailynews.com

Be Your Own Hot Dog Toppings Boss | foodpros Blog

[Posted to foodpros Blog by Jenna Duesler]

Did you know there is a correct order to top your hot dog? According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, “DON’T put hot dog toppings between the hot dog and the bun. You should always ‘dress the dog,’ not the bun. Condiments should be applied in the following order: wet condiments like mustard and chili are applied first, followed by chunky condiments like relish, onions and sauerkraut, followed by shredded cheese, followed by spices, like celery salt or pepper.”

Read more at foodpros.com/Blog