What’s new and exciting in your category?
“Swicy,” which is incorporating the beloved sweet and spicy flavor combo into our menu. We ran an LTO on the roller grill last year that was a big hit: Mike’s Hot Honey Roller Bite. After that LTO was the Voodoo pizza, which has the swicy flavor profile, and that was a fan favorite. We recently debuted the first swicy item of 2025: Hot Honey Big Pig (a hot honey sausage link wrapped in a biscuit and cooked to fluffy perfection, then glazed with hot honey sauce and topped with Texas Pete dust). Truly scrumdiddliumptious!
What do you love about your category?
Providing the communities we serve with quality and tasty food offerings [and] working with vendors to make it possible and profitable for us both.
What trends are you watching?
Bundling, especially with loyalty. I’m also watching the rise and fall between departments: How each department’s sales are trending throughout the year helps us know when the best times are to debut certain LTOs. I’m also watching cold and hot dispensed. For example, with all the current innovation in hot dispensed beverages (and how this can look so different from QSR to c-store), I am watching the effect of keeping new and exciting options for hot dispensed flavors/add-ins/toppings on the department as a whole, as well as the impact it has on our guests’ experience.
What products performed well in the past year?
Our LTO Voodoo pizza and Dippin’ Chicken Wraps, an extension of our Dippin’ Chicken line.
What are your goals/most looking forward to in 2025?
First, opening our commissary, Harvest Station Foods, that will provide a variety of prepared items to the stores. Second, pairing bakery items with our LTO milks. Third, debuting chicken wings with our new co-branded Texas Pete sauces. Fourth, further extending our Dippin' Chicken line. We are planning a Deluxe Dippin' Chicken Sandwich later this year.
What are the biggest challenges?
Battling rising food costs, keeping innovation execution simple, and transparency in effective communication with vendors/suppliers. The food team and I are a major player in battling food costs. We’re transparent with our goals and expectations to our partners. We go to our manufactures on cost, rebate programs, incentives, etc., to keep costs down for our patrons.