Punch drunk: Stewart’s Shops won the Best Milk in New York State award for the fourth year in a row at the New York State Fair in Syracuse. The Ballston Spa, New York-based chain also won first place for its chocolate milk and flavored milk. Stewart’s has won the award 10 times over the past 20 years, it said. The retailer credits the 21 local family-run farms that supply the chain’s milk and the team at the Stewart’s dairy plant. The dairy-focused convenience store is celebrating by doubling its Milk Club rewards from Sept. 8 through Sept. 14. Customers who purchase a half gallon of Stewart’s milk, chocolate milk, juice or Refresher will receive a double punch on their Stewart’s Milk Club card. Those who purchase a gallon of Stewart’s milk will receive four punches. The award is part of the New York State Dairy Products contest, which is part of a program run by Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. —Greg Lindenberg
Are you ready for some breakfast?: Noon kickoffs are taking over in college football with more than 35 games scheduled in the first three weeks of the season. With tailgates now starting at 8 a.m. or earlier, Casey’s General Stores, with the help of NFL star Cooper DeJean, has proclaimed its breakfast pizza the Official Pizza of Noon Kickoffs. “Growing up in Iowa, a slice of Casey’s pizza was my favorite after-practice snack,” DeJean said. “Whether you’re headed to the stadium or rallying from home, it’s the No. 1 tailgate food worth getting up for.” Tom Brennan, chief merchandising officer at Casey’s, added, “For some people, breakfast pizza might be a new tradition, but in Casey’s Country, it’s been a cult favorite for nearly 25 years. And now, we’re excited to bring that experience to more fans with 40% off any pizza, every Saturday during college football season.” Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey’s is the third-largest convenience store retailer and the fifth-largest pizza chain in the United States. —Greg Lindenberg
Protein with your pour: Convenience stores and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies have been leaning into protein, especially amidst the rise in use of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. Now, consumers can get a protein boost in their coffee—and even their coffee foam. Starting Sept. 29, Starbucks will offer Protein Cold Foam alongside a new line of Protein Lattes made with protein-boosted milk. The lattes will deliver about 15 to 36 grams of protein per 16-ounce beverage, Starbucks said. The cold foam will add about 15 grams of protein to any cold beverage, and it will come in flavors like banana, vanilla, chocolate, matcha, salted caramel, brown sugar and seasonal flavors like pumpkin and pecan. —Hannah Hammond
Fuel fear: When it comes to pumping gas, Gen Z drivers instead are filled with “petrol station anxiety,” The Times of London reported. High gas prices were not the key drivers fueling this anxiety, but instead parking near the pump, selection of fuel grade and operating the nozzle are what Gen Zers are fretting over, said the newspaper. In fact, according to new research, six in 10 young drivers are “so anxious” to fill up their own cars. Gen Zers are afraid to make a mistake in public, said the report. Seems like a good time to remind this generation that practice makes perfect. —Diane Adam
Inside America’s ‘luckiest’ gas station: Folks are traveling hundreds of miles to Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California, to buy lottery tickets, according to a recent profile of the convenience store and its very lucky owner, Joseph Chahayed, in the New York Times. The store has already proven its lottery mojo: In 2023, the winning ticket for the country’s largest lottery jackpot, a stunning $2.04 billion prize, came from Joe’s. And its owner got a cool $1 million for selling the winning Powerball ticket (which he doled out to the college savings accounts of his 11 grandchildren). But Joe’s luck extends beyond that. Early this year, the Eaton fire destroyed 100 homes on the same street as the convenience store. But the fire, one of the most devastating in the state’s history, stopped just a few lots north of Joe’s Service Center. Customers sometimes touch the store windows, in hopes the good luck will rub off. But Chahayed, a Syrian immigrant, doesn’t fall for all of the fuss. “It’s not a shrine,” he told the newspaper. “It’s a business.” —Heather Lalley
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