Casey’s General Stores Inc. has introduced “Darn-ell,” the convenience-store chain’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered “roast bot” at www.darngoodroast.com to promote its Darn Good Coffee.
Using generative AI capabilities, Darn-ell, a “coffee connoisseur and darn good roaster,” offers personalized, witty comments or “roasts” along with coffee recommendations to help customers learn about Casey’s Darn Good Coffee lineup, available hot, iced and in varied caffeine levels.
“We are thrilled to introduce ‘Darn-ell’ to our fans and guests, our innovative AI-powered coffee connoisseur, who’s here to help you roast with the best—Casey’s Darn Good coffee,” said Tom Brennan, Casey’s chief merchandising officer. “By combining this technology with our passion for exceptional coffee, we’re continuing to redefine what it means to enjoy a cup at Casey’s—one delightful roast at a time.”
A customer can tell Darn-ell to roast the customer: “You’re about as useful as a screen door on a submarine, aren’t ya? Grab a cup of Casey’s 100% Colombian to wake up that brain of yours. It’s got more kick than your last attempt at a joke, and trust me, that’s saying something!”
Or the customer can tell Darn-ell to roast a friend: “Your friend is so late, even the coffee’s gone cold! They could use a jolt from Casey’s French Roast to wake up and realize that ‘fashionably late’ is just code for ‘perpetually unprepared.’ At this rate, they might as well set their watch to ‘whenever’.”
Randomly selected adult customers can win free Darn Good Coffee for a year.
In January, Casey’s launched eight new Darn Good Coffee blends:
Casey’s Country House Blend
100% Colombian
French Roast
Rooster’s Call High Caffeine
Salted Caramel Toffee
Light Roast
Decaf
Casey’s, based in Ankeny, Iowa, operates more than 2,900 c-stores in the greater Midwest under the Casey’s and GoodStop brands and in Texas under the Lone Star Food Stores and CEFCO brands. The company is the third-largest convenience-store retailer, the fourth-largest holder of liquor licenses and the fifth-largest pizza chain in the United States. Casey's General Stores Inc. is No. 3 on CSP's 2024 Top 202 ranking of convenience-store chains by store count.
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