Concluding this week, CSP examines the third of three convenience-store foodservice programs in the annual State of Foodservice issue: A c-store striving to rewrite the rules of foodservice, another diving into healthy foodservice like it never has before and a third completely revamping its coffee program.
This week, CSP looks at GetGo Cafe + Market, which is giving its coffee program a boost.
- July 6: Dash In recently launched a new menu and format at the first of its third-generation c-stores.
- July 13: TA offers more healthy, more locations.
Chainwide Java Upgrade
A four-month project finished in February resulted in a complete chainwide coffee program upgrade at GetGo Cafe + Market.
One of the project’s three objectives was to add bean-to-cup coffee machines at all self-serve beverage areas. The other two objectives were to source great-tasting, always-fresh coffee beans and to introduce nitro and cold brew coffee.
These moves mark the latest in GetGo’s strategic food-first enhancements to ensure its made-to-order menu is fresh, delicious and unique, the company said. The bean-to-cup machine features the c-store chain’s new Signature Blend coffee beans, while another machine allows for nitrogen-infused and cold-brew coffees.
GetGo, owned and operated by Pittsburgh-based supermarket retailer Giant Eagle Inc., has more than 260 locations.
“Our goal was to serve the freshest and best-tasting coffee in the market, which meant undertaking a large-scale upgrade across our entire footprint,” said Farley Kaiser, director of culinary and innovation at GetGo.
Marion Clarke, project leader and category manager in charge of GetGo’s coffee program, said the bean-to-cup upgrade also provides store-to-store consistency, which boosts cost effectiveness and eases maintenance for store employees.
In Search of Consistency
Clarke said a c-store can have the fanciest, most expensive coffee machines, but if the coffee itself is cheap or stale, the result will be a bad cup of joe. Knowing this, GetGo’s initial step was sampling hundreds of beans until it found the right combination of taste and consistency.
“Only the best coffee beans would earn the right to carry the GetGo name,” she said.
The way c-store coffee is brewed and stored is the main cause for its bad reputation, Clarke said.
- GetGo ranks No. 31 on CSP’s 2023 Top 202 list of the largest c-store chains in the country.
“If you’ve ever had coffee that coats your mouth or has a strong bitter flavor, then you’ve probably had coffee that’s been prepared in large quantities and sat in a metal urn for too long,” she said.
GetGo addressed this with new bean-to-cup machines that grind and brew hot or iced coffee in less than 60 seconds. “You’ll never get a fresher cup of coffee,” Clarke said.
Along with the machines is GetGo’s new Signature Blend coffee. “The first thing that hits you is that amazing aroma,” she added.
A Better Blend
GetGo attained a unique signature flavor by blending beans from four international locations.
“We wanted the taste to be great, obviously, but we also wanted the experience to be something wholly unique to GetGo,” Clarke said.
The four beans offer: a rich, almost chocolaty taste; a hint of citrus; a natural cherry flavor; and a distinct smoky aroma.
The upgrade also includes the installation of a new machine to offer nitro and cold brew coffee.
“This is one machine that dispenses cold brew coffee through two taps,” Clarke said. “One tap infuses cold brew with nitrogen and the other features French Vanilla Latte Cold Brew, but we can change that whenever we’re ready to showcase something new. Our guests have shown a preference for mixing the two together to get the richness from the nitrogen mixed with the indulgent sweetness from our featured flavor.”
Nitro and cold brew are both elevated coffee experiences, said Clarke, adding that these offerings were essential to the upgraded program. “We’ve seen strong consumer demand for both these products.”
Donna Hood Crecca, principal at CSP sister research firm Technomic, said upgrades such as this are a necessity nowadays. “It’s gotten much more competitive, c-store to c-store and also competing with coffee cafes and fast-food restaurants,” she said. “C-stores have to innovate to differentiate—and also have to meet the needs of their specific consumer.”