BALTIMORE -- Thanksgiving may not be the first thing that springs to mind for convenience-store foodservice, but one c-store chain is hoping to change that with the promotion of catered options for Thanksgiving.
Baltimore-based Royal Farms took to the airwaves this week, appearing on CBS affiliate WJZ in Baltimore to announce that it is now offering Thanksgiving meals, anchored by its signature fried chicken. Customers can call ahead to preorder platters of fried chicken, with up to 50 pieces of chicken per platter; fried potato wedges; mashed potatoes and gravy; and macaroni and cheese.
Ralph DeSantis, operations leader for Royal Farms, outlined the company’s plan to roll out its expanded catering options systemwide. “We will eventually have it in all the stores,” DeSantis said. Royal Farms currently operates 122 stores in Maryland and 173 stores total.
Technomic’s most recent C-Store Market Intelligence Report revealed that dinner is a top daypart growth opportunity for convenience stores, particularly for chicken offerings. Whole pieces of chicken, as well as chicken strips and nuggets, were identified as items increasing in purchase frequency for dinner, and are now tied with pizza as the top dinner choice, with 49% of c-store consumers indicating that they are most likely to purchase chicken for dinner when they visit.
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