2025: Looking at foodservice labor, GLP-1’s influence and more

Convenience-store chains in 2025 added even more high-protein products as the GLP-1 diet phenomenon grew.

Also growing was the rise of convenience meal deals, while attention-grabbing product names continued to hold strong.

Finally, foodservice labor struggles remained an issue—one that might worsen in 2026.

Click through to read the 2025 foodservice roundup.

People “are eating more protein than ever, with 61% of consumers increasing their protein intake in 2024, up from 48% in 2019,” according to Wayzata, Minnesota-based Cargill’s 2025 Protein Profile. The driving force behind this: GLP-1 drugs.

Protein has “expanded from being the star of dinner plates to becoming a staple across all meals and snacks,” the report said, adding that 74% of consumers say eating meat is an important part of their diet.

And as this trend grows, c-stores have responded.

Michelle Weckstein, director of food and beverage brands for Bainbridge, Georgia-based Southwest Georgia Oil Co., which owns 81 SunStop convenience stores, said they recognized the GLP-1 diet phenomenon early on and decided “to strategically call out prepared food and retail items with high levels of protein,” Weckstein said. The company placed signage on its hot deli case with the number of grams of protein for each item on the menu.

In 2025, the company’s LTOs have been centered around proteins. One example: a Bacon Egg and Cheeseburger.

SunStop, like other c-store chains, hasn’t stopped at its prepared meals but rather promotes GLP-1-friendly foods and protein in other areas, placing identifiers on products throughout stores and creating GLP-1- and protein-friendly sections in its cold merchandisers, Weckstein said. This strategy created a lift in sales of meat and cheese snacks, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt and protein drinks, she said.

Powell, Tennessee-based Weigel’s has started calling out the amount of protein in its roller-grill products on product identification cards, said Ryan Blevins, director of food and beverage innovation.

When it comes to food innovation, he added, the company will be more mindful of giving customers a variety of “great-tasting protein-filled options.”

Finally, protein-based products over the past year have continued to play a central role in sales growth at Chillbox c-stores, owned by New Haven, Michigan-based Bazco Oil. The chain’s grab-and-go, made-in-house sandwiches “are doing very well for us,” said Fady Bazzi, Chillbox operations manager and co-owner. “The buffalo chicken wrap, with 35 grams of protein, and turkey wrap, 25 grams of protein, are leading the way with double-digit growth.”

The influx of deals, which began in late 2024 to combat the rise in quick-service restaurant (QSR) meal deals, continued in 2025—and gained steam. 

For example, Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven convenience stores and one of its restaurants rolled out new offerings in early December as the holiday season got into full swing.

Speedy Cafes are offering $5 one-topping large pizzas now through Jan. 6, and there’s a deal on two pizza slices and a 20-ounce Coca-Cola for $5 at 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes stores. Pizzas include cheese, pepperoni and extreme meat. This offer also is available through Jan. 6. At 7-Eleven’s Southern-inspired Raise the Roost Chicken and Biscuits QSR, there’s a buy one, get one free deal on chicken sandwiches and chicken biscuits from Dec. 25 to Jan. 1.

There also were Thanksgiving deals at c-stores, including Knoxville, Tennessee-based Pilot Co.’s limited-time Hostess Bundle. Customers can grab any size hot coffee and two single-serve Hostess snacks for $5 now through Jan. 6.

Finally, SunStop and Eat’s Southern Cookin’ in October introduced the Feed the Fam – $5 After 5 p.m. meal deal, “designed to provide families with a convenient, affordable and delicious weeknight dinner solution,” the c-store chain said.

Eat’s Southern Cookin’ is SunStop’s proprietary food program, selling primarily Southern comfort food, available in some of its stores.

The meal deal, available Monday through Friday, includes two chicken tenders or two chicken legs served with two sides and a roll. In addition to the standard offering, rotating daily specials include hamburger steak, chicken and rice, meatloaf, baked spaghetti, chicken Alfredo and chicken pot pie.

Available sides include green beans, collard greens, vegetable of the day, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and tater logs.

Foodservice labor in 2025 has been tough for c-stores, When it comes to labor strategies for convenience-store operators, retention is key because it costs “less to keep an associate than to replace one,” said Alex Olympidis, president of operations for Family Express, at the NACS Show in October.

Speaking about how to maximize every labor dollar, Olympidis said “in the c-store industry, typical turnover is between 120% to 150%, which has a cost per separation of $4,000 to $6,000 per employee.”

At Family Express, which operates c-stores throughout northwest and central Indiana, turnover is less than industry levels at 40%, Olympidis said.

He said the company’s tenure-based wage structure is one way to help reduce early turnover—and that is also provides a “clear” path forward.

CSP sister research arm Technomic’s 2026 U.S. Foodservice Trends Forecast predicts that the everlasting struggle for foodservice labor will become even more intense as policy, economic, lifestyle and demographic factors conspire to reduce the available pool for the foodservice industry and increase costs.

Technomic said that labor pool trends are not in the industry’s favor, noting that the U.S. labor participation among 16- to 19-year-olds has declined from 53% in 1994 to 37% in 2024. It’s forecast to drop to 35% by 2034.

Meanwhile, the wider scrutiny on unauthorized immigration has caused an impact. “Unauthorized immigrants represent about 8% of leisure/hospitality employment,” Technomic said.

Increased labor woes have caused restaurant closures, reduced hours, more turnover and higher costs, Technomic said, citing Oxford Economics.

In what might be a sign of things to come, VenHub Global Inc., a provider of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered retail concepts, in the fall opened a new contactless, fully autonomous 24/7 Smart Store in Los Angeles Union Station. With no on-site employees, VenHub will sell snacks and travel essentials. 

Another trend continuing from 2024 is product names and ingredient combinations that grab the attention of consumers.

Foxtrot, for example, late in 2025 rolled out a new Chorizo Stuffed Pepper Breakfast Taco that includes chorizo, potatoes, pepper jack cheese, roasted poblano pepper and a flour tortilla.

7-Eleven’s Laredo Taco Company restaurant teamed up with Cheetos Flamin’ Hot on a limited-edition menu featuring a Cheetos Flamin’ Hot burrito, taco and nachos.

Also at 7-Eleven, the c-store giant in December expanded its fresh food lineup with the rollout of a Japanese-style egg salad sandwich, bringing a longtime customer favorite from its Japanese stores to participating U.S. locations. The sandwich, known for its smooth texture and signature creamy flavor profile, has gained international attention as a viral sensation in the Japanese convenience-store market. It is now available nationwide at select 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes stores. 

Kwik Trip, La Crosse, Wisconsin, had a limited-time four-cheese ravioli that came from a vendor and was baked in stores. It featured ricotta, Asiago, romano and mozzarella cheeses, with eight in a box and a sauce cup.

EG America offered a limited-time Cheesy Chicken Fajita Tornado the Westborough, Massachusetts-based company called a “fusion of Tex-Mex flavors and crispy satisfaction.” It combined charbroiled chicken strips with a blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, plus green and red bell peppers, and onions.

Ballston Spa, New York-based Stewart’s Shops brought back the Candy Cane Shake for a limited time late in 2025. It’s made with Peppermint Stick Ice Cream—also back for the holidays—whipped cream and peppermint sugar sprinkles.