CHICAGO -- There’s hungry, there’s hangry and now QuickChek Corp. is proposing a whole other classification of stomach rumbling to suit consumers’ changing dining habits. Yes, “fungry” is when guests don’t need a whole meal but want something small and fun, according to the retailer’s website.
The Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based convenience-store chain offers a customer testimonial from a man named Derek to help further define the term: “My wife and I were on our way home and were hungry for something small. We ordered your Ham and Cheese Pretzel Melt and fell in love; it was delicious! Now we go out of our way to find a QuickChek just so we can grab another order. We’re hooked!”
Derek and his wife aren’t alone. Seventy percent of c-store consumers purchase foodservice snacks at least once a month, which is a 3% jump from 2015, according to Technomic’s Retailer Meal Solutions Consumer Trend Report.
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Besides its Pretzel Melts, QuickChek offers about half a dozen other fresh snacks to satisfy customers’ funger. The 146-unit c-store chain has two flavors of empanadas that are fewer than 250 calories. Customers can snag a beef and cheese or chicken and cheese empanada any time of day.
Updating the wrap trend McDonald’s helped popularize in the quick-service space, Sheetz Inc., Altoona, Pa., has introduced made-to-order options. Shnack Wrapz offers a lower price point and smaller portion size than many of the 524-unit chain’s hot and cold wraps. Customers select a protein: bacon, burger, crispy chicken, grilled chicken or crispy fish. Guests then customize their snack with a choice of eight different cheeses, 16 spreads and 17 toppings.
Royal Farms offers five varieties of sliders for $2.19. Although the Baltimore-based retailer does offer a classic cheeseburger slider, the rest of the flavors are a spin on its signature fried chicken. Patrons of the chain’s 170 locations can choose from Famous Chicken, Atomic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken or Chesapeake Chicken.
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