In the ever-evolving landscape of convenience stores, one area stands out as crucial for success: foodservice. Once known primarily for fuel and quick snacks, convenience stores have transformed into destinations offering a variety of food options. From partnering with nationally branded programs to offering custom selections, retailers looking to boost their profits are turning to foodservice platforms to drive their retail profits.
Enhancing the customer experience
Foodservice elevates the overall customer experience within convenience stores. Instead of merely stopping for fuel or snacks, customers can now enjoy a satisfying meal during their visit. This not only increases the time spent in-store but also encourages repeat visits. Moreover, offering quality food options creates a positive impression of the convenience store, fostering customer satisfaction and loyalty, regardless of the size of their operation.
“At Core-Mark, we want to meet our customers wherever they’re at in their foodservice journey,” said Ryan Malkowski, senior director of foodservice at Core-Mark. “From an initial implementation of a simple heat-and-go item to a fully customizable menu, we have options that can meet our customers’ labor and space limitations.”
Meeting consumer demands
Consumer preferences have shifted towards healthier, fresher and more diverse food options. Convenience stores that incorporate foodservice can leverage these opportunities by offering freshly prepared meals, salads, sandwiches and even hot food items. By providing a wider range of options, convenience stores can attract a broader customer base, including those seeking quick and convenient meal solutions.
In addition to roller grill and packaged sandwiches and salads, Core-Mark offers intermediate and advanced turnkey foodservice programs.
Branded food programs made easy
Core-Mark’s branded food programs include Tru-Q BBQ®, Perfectly Southern Fresh Fried Chicken®, Contigo Taqueria®, Red Seal Pizzeria®, Red Seal Express® and Deli 55®.
Red Seal Pizzeria®
The Red Seal Pizzeria® program can turn convenience stores into a point-of-destination pizza shop with delicious made-to-order pizza. Using the legendary Roma family of brands, the program is fully customizable to create a signature pie with any toppings imaginable.
Red Seal Express®
The Red Seal Express® program offers three sizes of pizzas for every day part, including breakfast, that can be baked in-store to sell fresh by the slice, as whole pies to go or sold as a take-home frozen pizza.
Perfectly Southern Fresh Fried Chicken®
The award-winning Perfectly Southern Fresh Fried Chicken® program is designed to allow c-stores to compete with popular franchises. The crispy Southern breading is available in Original Flavor and Hot & Spicy and offers a full complement of comfort food favorites.
Tru-Q BBQ®
The Tru-Q BBQ® program uses quality meats that are hardwood smoked for 14 hours to achieve maximum tenderness, including brisket and pulled pork. The products are delivered fully cooked, so all customers need to do is heat and serve.
Contigo Taqueria®
Authentic Mexican and southwest flavors are infused into the pre-cooked menu of tacos, burritos, bowls, quesadillas and salads allowing customers to build simple, but flavorful options that can be offered across all dayparts.
Deli 55®
Deli 55® serves up a wide assortment of menu items across all dayparts from gourmet deli sandwiches, subs, and paninis to soups, salads, hot dogs, burgers and fries. Preparation is fast and consistent with many fully prepared items.
Fully turnkey options offer easy implementation
Unlike national franchise options, Core-Mark’s branded foodservice programs are available with no licensing or franchise fees and low startup costs. The fully turnkey programs provide training, support and marketing materials to streamline the integration of the foodservice programs into a retailer’s existing operations.
“We provide ongoing support to all of our customers and have experts available who are dedicated to launching foodservice programs in c-store operations,” Malkowski said. “The flexibility of our programs means we can provide everything a retailer needs or just what they need to be up and running.”
The turnkey options also enable convenience stores to expand the reach to their customers beyond traditional dayparts, such as breakfast or snacks, into lunch and dinner offerings. Implementing foodservice programs, whether as a grab-and-go option or a customizable meal can help convenience stores position themselves as go-to destinations for convenient and delicious meals.
To learn more about Core-Mark’s foodservice programs, visit Core-Mark.com.
This post is sponsored by Core-Mark