
The Dash In convenience-store chain is upping its foodservice game.
Dash In is integrating its menus throughout its 55-plus store footprint in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. It’s investing in foodservice technology to ensure consistency. And it’s analyzing trends to find foods consumers crave.
Dash In is owned by the Wills Group, which also owns Splash In ECO car washes and retail petroleum distributor SMO Motor Fuels.
The Wills Group is No. 120 on CSP’s 2024 Top 202 ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by store count.
Todd Fangman, senior food and dispensed beverage manager at the La Plata, Maryland-based company, shared with CSP Daily News his plans and priorities for the new year.

This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.
What food are c-store consumers craving now?
Fangman: C-store consumers are craving restaurant-quality food with fresh, high-quality ingredients and bold, innovative flavors. It is on us to create value for them. At our locations you can expect quality food, to get the food quickly and to pay less than you would at a restaurant.
How is Dash-In bringing healthy offerings to its kitchen?
Fangman: Aside from offering wraps, salads and vegetarian options, we have placed a lot of emphasis on high quality ingredients. Our burgers and breakfast sausage patties are made fresh in-house. We use fresh cracked eggs in all our breakfast sandwiches. We also prepare items fresh daily, such as our grilled vegetables, tuna and chicken salads, and hand-cut our veggies we use in sandwiches and salads.
What new products are you adding or trying in 2025?
Fangman: This year will be about improving execution and nailing our core menu items. We will continue to implement processes to be better, faster and more consistent as we grow in store count. We are also looking for innovative ways to create value for the guest through promotional pricing. You can expect to see some innovation at the kiosk sprinkled in as well.
How do you determine what to add to your menus?
Fangman: Our decisions on menu additions are 100% guest driven. We begin by analyzing sales trends over the past year and how items have performed over consecutive years. We also consider seasonality and industry trends, including restaurants.
However, innovation is key, and we aim to create offerings that not only align with trends but also set us apart and can be executed at a high level. We ask ourselves important questions: How can we create new and exciting items using the ingredients we already have? Should we source new ingredients to create a fresh line of offerings or add-ons? And finally, is it time to move on from an item that has seen declining sales over the past couple of years? By carefully considering these factors, we ensure that our menu evolves in a way that resonates with our guests while maintaining quality and differentiation.
Does the menu vary by location?

Fangman: The goal is integration. Currently, we have four different series of Dash Ins. Last year we rolled out a new menu line to over 30 locations to help bridge the gap in menus. Over the next year, older stores will either be rebuilt or rebranded to complete the integration process.
We have also identified certain menu items and revitalized them so that they will be welcomed in other regions as we expand. An example of this was our Chesapeake Cheesesteak, which presented a very regional flavor. It was a fan favorite at our Maryland locations, but we understood that in North Carolina it may not be so well received. We replaced it with a more traditional version while increasing the quality of ingredients.
How do you ensure consistent quality across various stores?
Fangman: We hold quarterly training sessions for all store managers and area managers, where we focus on training new and revised menu items, as well as revisiting key processes that are critical to maintaining quality. These sessions are a blend of classroom learning and hands-on practice, allowing managers to engage with the material. Additionally, we have invested in recipe adherence technology that can be used at the store level to ensure consistency. In day-to-day operations, we emphasize the importance of area managers conducting regular quality checks during their visits. This hands-on approach, combined with ongoing training and digital resources, helps us maintain high food quality across all locations.
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