Foodservice
As winter draws to a close, multiple convenience store retailers are preparing for warmer weather by launching or updating frozen drinks, seasonal ice cream, and hot food menus to attract customers.
Dan Larmondra will join Alimentation Couche-Tard on March 23 as head of U.S. food merchandising, after 12 years at Family Dollar. He will lead Circle K's fresh food merchandising operations and work alongside the company's recent promotion of Trey Powell to drive U.S. food service revenue growth at four times the rate of merchandise revenue.
Chestnut Market announced on Monday that it has hired Ben Lucky as its first Director of Foodservice. Lucky will be responsible for the strategic development and operational execution of the foodservice platform across the company's approximately 80 stores in New York State, New Jersey, and Connecticut, with a focus on menu development, kitchen design, team training, and supplier partnerships. Previously, Lucky served as Senior Director of Fresh Food at 7-Eleven for about a year, departing in late 2025.
Wetzel's Pretzels plans to double its number of locations inside convenience stores over the next approximately two years. The company began expanding into the convenience store channel five years ago and currently has 20 locations, with another 10 to 15 in development. Its small store-in-store model, featuring a streamlined menu and lower food costs, has been introduced at retail points such as Shell, 76, and Exxon, with plans to expand into several new states.
Global-flavor foods (including imported products and localized international cuisines) are growing strongly in food retail, with 82% of category growth coming from this segment. If convenience stores combine demographic trends, seasonal occasions, and health attributes, and systematically arrange their cold cases, shelves, and fresh-food areas, they can achieve sustained sales growth.
Casey's General Stores announced on its third-quarter earnings call plans to roll out its chicken wings product line to all of its more than 2,900 stores. Since its pilot launch in Des Moines, Iowa, in January 2025, the product has expanded to over 550 stores and has driven in-store sales growth.
Tri Star Energy announced on Wednesday the launch of its private label snack line Daily Favorites, featuring chips, jerky, snack cups, popcorn, and candy bars, which will be sold at its various convenience store brands. This move aims to improve control over ingredients, packaging, and costs, while addressing the growing consumer demand for value.
Loop Neighborhood Market has partnered with Krispy Krunchy Chicken to offer the fried chicken brand's complete hot food menu at 12 California stores, integrated into the Loop app. The collaboration covers multiple cities including San Francisco and Sacramento, representing the latest move by convenience stores to respond to the rising share of food service.
Pilot Company is making a major strategic shift in its food service, introducing a new dual-track dining program called Pilot eats and Pilot eats Express, with plans to expand it to over 900 travel centers nationwide starting in spring 2025. The program is seen as a significant extension of the company's $1 billion 'New Horizons' renovation initiative, marking a transition from simply providing meals to more deeply aligning with driver needs.
BrakeTime Corner Market has entered into a franchise partnership with Little Caesars, with the first two locations set to open in Texas, as part of the company's strategy to strengthen its food service offerings.