C-store retailers, along with many other industries, continue to face labor challenges.
According to Technomic’s November 2022 C-Store Market Annual Report, 94% of c-store retailers are concerned about hiring enough workers at the store level, and 86% are concerned about retaining current store-level employees.
To ease the struggle with labor shortages, though, some retailers are turning to new equipment that helps lessen the load on workers.
For instance, Todd Rouse, BUNN Senior Vice President of Business Development, said the BUNN® Fast Cup® coffee machine can help ease some of those challenges. “Like every business, and specifically the c-store segment, having enough labor available is an underlying challenge. BUNN Fast Cup’s bean-to-cup coffee brewer features a drip-style flavor profile, with technology that eases labor demand by reducing the need for employee attention and maintenance.”
According to Technomic’s Q3 2022 C-Store Consumer MarketBrief, 62% of consumers go to c-stores specifically to buy dispensed beverages, while 38% go to buy other items and end up buying a dispensed beverage as an add-on. For these shoppers, having a convenient, fast option can encourage purchase—especially if that option is a high-quality, great-tasting beverage. BUNN’s Fast Cup accommodates coffee drinkers with a fast and freshly ground beverage. It has three large bean hoppers that can brew 70 cups of coffee per hopper, which means that “workers don’t have to continually look to see if the hopper is empty,” Rouse explained.
BUNN Fast Cup also offers the flexibility to brew iced coffee in a bean-to-cup platform. Iced coffee options, up 25% in incidence in c-stores year-over-year, include choices such as unsweetened, caramel latte, French vanilla latte and more, according to Technomic’s November 2022 C-Store Market Annual Report.
“Coffee is a pretty specific beverage,” Frank McAdam, BUNN Sales Vice President explained. “Some c-stores have created a loyal following based on their coffee. BUNN works closely with our customers to customize recipes that can be uploaded to the Fast Cup; providing a similar profile to their current hot or cold drip coffee offerings,” he said. “With other bean-to-cup systems in the market operators must retrain consumers to accept taste and appearance differences. With BUNN Fast Cup we can create a similar profile to offer the same high-quality cup of coffee consumers have enjoyed from their favorite c-store in both hot and cold platforms.”
“Not only can BUNN provide a great bean-to-cup solution with Fast Cup,” says Rouse, “but BUNN is a single source for beverage-dispensing expertise in Equipment, Service, and Digital Solutions.” BUNN offers customized service programs which include service installation and ongoing preventive maintenance for Fast Cup. “In addition to customized service programs, we have the capability to incorporate digital technology like BUNNlink with Fast Cup, BUNN’s IOT machine management platform. This digital solution allows operators to remotely communicate and collect data on machines to enable data-backed business decisions. Our holistic approach to equipment, service, and digital addresses the priorities and challenges of our customers to deliver solutions for efficient operation and best result in the cup,” says Rouse.
For retailers looking to offer a quality, flavorful cup of coffee without maxing out labor amid staffing shortages, a single-cup system offers the convenience they need. For more information, visit www.commercial.bunn.com/fast-cup.
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