This year’s NACS Show, held in October in Las Vegas, reinforced c-store retailers and suppliers’ keen interest in foodservice. With standing-room-only attendance, the educational sessions required turning away many eager folks. I bet they could have filled rooms twice as large. It showed the industry’s overall interest in doing food, and doing it well, in a convenience store.
The trade-show floor also offered a large amount of new foodservice products and equipment, many of which reflected an evolution in what suppliers are producing and what retailers are capable of taking on.
But I believe that we as an industry may still be a step behind where the food-to-go business is headed. Too many products are still rooted in the past.
Meeting Guests’ Needs
I consider myself a foodie and have introduced many unique and adventurous products in my retail career. But I am not a food snob. I enjoy the comforts of a really great hot dog, and Bahama Mama and Dietz & Watson (with the spicy brown mustard) are a must for me at every NACS Show. So my criticism is focused on how we approach our broader fresh food offer for our guests.
In some ways, the consumer packaged goods (CPG) suppliers are further along in understanding and meeting the needs of today’s guests. They’re already laser-focused on clean labels, freshness, food with integrity, simple communication and great taste. I saw many examples of this on the show floor from the CPG brands, and not enough from the foodservice side.
While it’s a very overused term, being authentic is what our guests expect from their food. Food is not a commodity, but something we must address in a more holistic way.
With all the choices and directions available in today’s marketplace, how can retailers—and, for that matter, suppliers—get to the next stage in foodservice evolution?
Three Keys of Growth
The evolution is tangible, and I believe our industry would benefit from looking at equipment, products and employees in ways that can help us deliver great-tasting food.
Equipment: Years ago, at Wawa, I had to design my own rethermalizer to be able to reheat and prepare high-quality soups, stews and chili. Nothing like a rethermalizer existed to prepare the high-quality products that we were sourcing and developing, but it opened up a world for other cook/chill products that dramatically improved the quality of our hot offer. Today, many options exist, but it took time to develop a rethermalizer as an everyday tool for kitchens.
But a question often comes to mind as I look at equipment innovations: Is equipment a tool, or just the next toy? High-speed ovens (think those that offer both microwave and convection) can be true tools and are used by thousands of stores today. But are they being used correctly? I have had many a sandwich that is crusty and hard as a result of too much contact with microwaves.
Speed for the sake of speed does not mean great food. So seek out new tools—but also know how to best use them.
Product: Great taste usually wins, but can we prepare it in three minutes or less? Sometimes these ideas are mutually exclusive: Easy-to-prepare things can be unappetizing, or great-tasting foods may require preparation that is beyond a convenience store’s abilities.
How do we bring our offer and quality in line with the expectations of today’s guest? Suppliers must step up to help with development and understand the challenges we face by providing equipment and product solutions that meet these needs.
Employees: This is an area that I know companies struggle with on a daily basis, and many of the sessions at the NACS Show focused on how to build a better company. Food prepared with care and attention does not happen by accident; it is very planned, and not easy to do. But companies that commit to their people and walk the talk are winning.
The future of foodservice is certainly bright. We have lots of potential given our locations; the trick is to do it right. Retailers and suppliers that look to today’s guests and how they interact with food (and address any gaps) are going to be the winners.
Here’s to the 2016 show and looking forward to ongoing industry improvements in the year to come.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.