GPM Investments’ new fas craves foodservice program is a key strategic point for the company. It’s designed to satisfy customer needs for breakfast, lunch and snacking, Carlos Pinzon, vice president of foodservice and QSR brands, said, adding that it also includes an expanded hot and frozen beverage line.
The first fas craves branded food offering location opened in June in a remodeled fas mart convenience store in Ashland, Virginia, outside the company’s hometown of Richmond, Virginia. Pinzon shared details behind the menu and how it aims to compete with quick-service restaurants.
Some highlights of the new fas craves menu include:
- Grab-and-go items like crispy chicken biscuits, potato wedges, mozzarella sticks, jumbo chicken wings, Tyson chicken sandwiches, pub burgers and more.
- Beverages like nitro cold brew, bean-to-cup hot and iced coffee, iced teas, lemonades, Frazil Slush and Café Tango frozen coffee.
- One proprietary item, the Ultimate Chicken Tender
Pinzon said their offer is very competitive with the QSR industry: “For $6, you can get chicken tenders, wedges and a drink.”
The brand that wins will provide the best quality product at a value price, Pinzon said.
- Leaders from Arko, GPM's parent company, talked to CSP about the convenience-store chain's recent transformation. Read more on that here.
Pinzon said the foodservice lines are blurring between QSRs and c-stores, with customers now more open to trying foodservice at the latter.
“I think QSRs are threatened by c-stores instead of the other way around,” he said. “I think QSRs are starting to look at c-stores and saying, ‘OK, what are they doing? How are they going to capture our customers?’”
In CSP sister research arm Technomic’s 2025 Convenience-Store Food Multi Client Study, 1,000 c-store prepared food consumers said that c-stores are “just as capable as restaurants in offering fresh, quality food.”
- GPM Investments is No. 10 on CSP’s 2026 Top 40 update to the 2025 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count. Watch for the full 2026 Top 202 ranking in June.
Pinzon also thinks QSRs are going to have a “very difficult problem positioning themselves for value because the customer has in their mind that QSRs are now expensive, that they are very close to casual dining. So in the QSR industry, it’s going to be harder to position yourself as a value option for the customer.”
“Fas craves is very relevant for our customers,” Pinzon said. “It’s a delicious product, it’s easy to execute and offers a great value proposition. We’re happy with the results so far, and we’ll continue to grow and evolve, just like any new concept.”