Convenience Store Decisions, May 2018

In Demand ALL DAY 72 of consumers want operators to serve breakfast all day 51 of c store breakfast consumers purchase breakfast sandwiches Flavor spins are important 67 of consumers are looking for c stores to offer more unique fl avors for breakfast items Sources National Restaurant Association Restaurant Industry Forecast Technomic C Store MarketBrief June 2017 For more information call us TODAY at 8008375391 or visit cstore johnsonville com 2018 Johnsonville LLC Its easier to manufacture that way because youre not pre weighing the product and trying to make everything identical Being handcrafted the sandwiches are always different So you can get a sandwich for 250 or 490 or whatever it happens to be because some have more meat on them Zaremba said Currently Zaremba is testing a signature breakfast sandwich menu The breakfast sandwiches are made on either biscuits or toast and include bacon and ham smoked in store The restaurant also features its own breakfast potato recipe Some of the breakfast sandwiches are made to order and a lot are grab and go in the hot case Were making sure that we have quality in the hot case not just a hot sandwich but a quality hot sandwich Zaremba said CONSISTENT EXECUTION Quality is the key to a successful c store sandwich program agreed Tim Powell vice president and senior analyst for Q1 Consulting LLC Before considering the latest ingredient trends c stores should first focus on mastering consistent execution of their sandwich program on a daily basis he advised That includes ensuring each sandwich is fresh appealing packaged in attractive transparent packaging and clearly labeled One of the most important hurdles to master is ensuring sandwiches that dont sell are being discarded in a timely manner C stores should adhere to a 5 11 waste tolerance Sandwiches must look fresh something many c stores still struggle to perfect A lot of times theres only one turkey sandwich left and it looks like it has been sitting there a long time Powell said Q1data indicates c store shoppers want immediate consumption options that offer quality variety and the type of limited time offers they might see at a local sandwich shop The quality and efficiency of a c store chains central kitchen is an important consideration As demand for grab and go sandwiches rises central kitchens must be able to maintain a consistent product between locations Powell said Made to order is also a very big trend right now in convenience stores Gen Z and Millennials want made toorder products Powell said Theyre associating freshness and quality with the sandwich when its being made in front of them or there are clear cues like the way it looks or a best used by date on the packaging In light of the made to order trend in store restaurants are becoming increasingly popular in more of the retail realm as a whole including at grocery stores Powell said Many supermarkets today offer various stations where customers can get any fare they desire customized and c stores need to be watching and adapting to that demand before other channels take the lead Even with a strong made to order program c stores must still maintain a high quality grab and go section as most c store customers are choosing c stores for speed of service The ultimate goal should be to make your c store a top of mind sandwich destination for customers said Powell by meeting customer demands while providing a multitude of hot and cold beverages and a level of quality that makes your food offering competitive against other channels CSD The Stanley James Smokehouse handcrafted sandwiches are made fresh in the c store packaged in clear cellophane and priced by the pound