For convenience stores, off-premise foodservice sales—including delivery, takeout and drive-thru—largely came into vogue during the pandemic. And while many other operational changes brought on by the pandemic may fade out in the coming months, consumer demand for off-premise service is likely here to stay.
According to Technomic’s Q1 2021 C-Store Consumer Marketbrief, carryout is far and away consumers’ favorite way to dine, with 52% of consumers saying their most recent foodservice purchase at the c-store was for takeout. Drive-thru and delivery follow at No. 2 and No. 3, with 19% and 12% of consumers saying their most recent foodservice purchase from a c-store was at the drive-thru or delivered.
It makes sense that c-store customers hope to continue using these time-saving formats. For retailers, however, this long-term shift may require some strategizing in order to go smoothly—especially when it comes to keeping costs and labor low.
Balancing labor and efficiency
The pandemic’s onset stretched retail staff thin, and c-stores were no exception. To help maintain sales and boost safety, c-store retailers turned on a dime to serve their shoppers through the formats they preferred and that best accommodated the current environment.
Now, with takeout, drive-thru and delivery remaining consumers’ preferred ways to dine over a year later, keeping these services running smoothly calls for solutions to keep the back-of-house as efficient as possible. As employees field orders from a number of digital platforms and continue to fulfill orders both in-store and off-premise, it’s more crucial than ever to identify and address any factors creating more work behind the scenes.
Managing fryer oil, including changing and filtering, alongside keeping hoods and flues clean are examples of notoriously difficult, time-consuming and potentially dangerous tasks for kitchen staff and are exceptionally critical in a time when kitchen cleanliness is a higher priority now than ever before.
It’s for these reasons and more that outsourcing these tasks can be a gamechanger in terms of maintaining efficient operations, high-quality food and excellent service. Restaurant Technologies’ Total Oil Management services take care of oil management from start to finish—from ordering and delivering fresh cooking oil to the storing, handling and recycling of used oil.
Even more, Restaurant Technologies offers other key solutions to keep the back-of-house in tip-top shape. AutoMist automates hood and flue cleaning, working to eliminate grease build-up, while Grease Lock hood filters significantly slow grease build-up.
To learn more about how Restaurant Technologies can help support off-premise services with time- and labor-saving technologies, visit www.rti-inc.com.
Restaurant Technologies is a leading foodservice industry partner, proudly serving nearly 30,000 quick-service and full-service restaurant chains, independent restaurants, grocery delis, hotels, casinos, universities and hospitals, nationwide. Restaurant Technologies helps foodservice operators make safer, smarter, more efficient and more sustainable kitchens through their cooking oil, and hood and flue management solutions. Total Oil Management automates the cooking oil process from storage and handling to filtration, monitoring and disposal of used cooking oil. AutoMist® automates hood and flue cleaning, and Grease LockTM hood filters slow grease build-up. Headquartered in Mendota Heights, Minn., Restaurant Technologies is a privately held company, currently operates 41 depots and has more than 1,000 employees serving customers across the United States.
This post is sponsored by Restaurant Technologies