As the retail lines continue to blur, it’s worth watching how service styles change to meet demands for convenience and speed. It’s not surprising that of the restaurants offering sandwiches, nearly all make them to order. Self-serve, meanwhile, remains the norm for both sandwiches and sausage-style items at c-stores.
Challenge
- “Dining-area space. Customers love ‘self-serve’ and we don’t have a lot of room for it.” —Hospital operator
Plans to invest in equipment changes next year (expand, upgrade or purchase)
| Retail | Restaurant | Non-commercial | |
| Cooking equipment | 46% | 57% | 54% |
| Cooler/freezer storage | 32% | 34% | 31% |
| Hot-holding equipment | 32% | 25% | 33% |
| Coffee equipment | 30% | 15% | 18% |
| Cold-holding equipment | 24% | 18% | 27% |
| Fountain equipment | 24% | 8% | 8% |
| None of the above | 17% | 24% | 27% |
Reflecting the importance of beverages to c-stores, these retailer respondents are notably more likely to purchase coffee (32%) and fountain equipment (26%) in the next year. Thirty-nine percent of C&U operators report plans to purchase cold-holding equipment, which at 19% is significantly higher than all other operations surveyed.
CONTINUED: Operator Challenges
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