Technomic’s MenuMonitor features menus from 40 U.S. c-store retailers. “Penetration” measures the “reach” of a product on a menu.
For example, sandwiches accounted for 21.2% of all items on the menus in the database, and 42.4% of all food (nonbeverage) items specifically.
Food at C-Stores
Hot dogs were the most popular meal entrée on the menu in second-quarter 2014, with 90% of the retailers in Technomic’s MenuMonitor sample offering them.
| Product | Menu incidence | Total menu penetration | Food menu distribution | Operators offering | Operator penetration |
| Sandwich | 528 | 21.2% | 42.4% | 35 | 87.5% |
| Breakfast sandwich | 147 | 5.9% | 11.8% | 27 | 67.5% |
| Pizza | 110 | 4.4% | 8.8% | 18 | 45.0% |
| Hot dog | 98 | 3.9% | 7.9% | 36 | 90.0% |
| Burger | 75 | 3.0% | 6.0% | 24 | 60.0% |
| Chicken dish | 65 | 2.6% | 5.2% | 16 | 40.0% |
| Burrito/chimichanga | 52 | 2.1% | 4.2% | 15 | 37.5% |
| Salad (main dish) | 48 | 1.9% | 3.9% | 13 | 32.5% |
| Soup | 42 | 1.7% | 3.4% | 8 | 20.0% |
| Taco/taquito | 40 | 1.6% | 3.3% | 17 | 42.5% |
| Mexican | 40 | 1.6% | 3.2% | 16 | 40.0% |
Pizza vs. Hot Dogs
Ninety percent of operators in the database offer hot dogs, vs. 45% offering pizza. Yet there were 110 incidences of pizza in the database, vs. 98 for hot dogs, indicating greater variety.
Snacks at C-Stores
The most common snack items on the menus of c-store retailers in Technomic’s MenuMonitor sample were doughnuts, muffins and pastries.
| Product | Menu incidence | Total menu penetration | Food menu distribution | Operators offering | Operator penetration |
| Doughnut | 48 | 1.9% | 25.8% | 21 | 52.5% |
| Muffin | 30 | 1.2% | 16.1% | 23 | 57.5% |
| Pastry | 26 | 1.0% | 14.0% | 17 | 42.5% |
| Bagel/English muffin/toast | 15 | 0.6% | 8.1% | 9 | 22.5% |
| Hash browns | 12 | 0.5% | 6.5% | 11 | 27.5% |
| Dessert bread | 12 | 0.5% | 6.5% | 6 | 15.0% |
| Chicken strips/nuggets | 11 | 0.4% | 5.9% | 9 | 22.5% |
| Cheese sticks/ fried cheese | 11 | 0.4% | 5.9% | 11 | 27.5% |
| Fruit | 11 | 0.4% | 5.9% | 9 | 22.5% |
| Chili | 10 | 0.4% | 5.4% | 8 | 20.0% |
53%
Percent of operators offering doughnuts as a foodservice snack
CONTINUED: C-Store Best in Class
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