Because of his body of work at RaceTrac, CSD recognizes Steven Turner as a Front-runner in Foodservice for 2017.
By David Bennett, Senior Editor
During his tenure at McDonald’s, Steven Turner saw waves of food trends shake the industry. Some rolled in like tsunamis and some quickly sunk below the surface.
“I was at McDonald’s for a long time—just over 11 years,” Turner said. “Back then, the conversation was about Wendy’s and Burger King. Five years into my time at McDonald’s, the new discussions were about Dunkin’ (Donuts) and Starbucks, the battle over breakfast and all these other things. And, at the end of my time—and what gave me greater awareness—the discussion was about the emerging threat of c-stores. The name of RaceTrac would come up a lot.”
It was in 2012 the opportunity to move up within McDonald’s also meant an expected move to Chicago. Looking to stay in the Atlanta area, Turner again scouted RaceTrac Petroleum Inc., which was making its own foodservice ripples in the industry.
Now the director of food & beverage for the Atlanta-based c-store chain, Turner explained that RaceTrac’s growing reputation for quality programs and strong customer engagement is what intrigued him.
“The more I learned about it and became exposed to the senior leadership and seeing the plans for growth and development with the business, it became a real easy decision to let go of McDonald’s and join the team over here,” said Turner, who is responsible for foodservice, dispensed beverages, quality assurance and food safety at RaceTrac.
RaceTrac operates more than 600 stores nationwide, some of which are under the RaceWay brand, in 12 states.
During Turner’s tenure, RaceTrac integrated its new store prototype featuring Swirl World frozen treats, an expanded coffee bar, salads, sandwiches, fruits and bakery items delivered fresh daily.
CHANGES IN STORE
Under Turner’s guidance, the c-store chain is zeroing in on its strongest offerings to drive differentiation. One of the programs that RaceTrac sees great promise in is its evolving made-to-order platform, with a focus on take-out offerings that emphasize fresh, quality ingredients set at a budget-friendly price point.
The chain’s first made-to-order concept called The Speedy Avocado Southwest Grill was a good testing ground for RaceTrac’s made-to-order program that is being expanded, said Turner, who has a MBA from Georgia Tech. The Speedy Avocado, launched three years ago, is being replaced with RaceTrac’s large-scale rollout of its made-to-order program, which started last May, when RaceTrac began the launch of a deli program comprising customizable sandwiches.
A select number of RaceTrac stores currently provide the new made-to-order offering, which allows patrons to create their own sandwiches, pizzas and specialty beverages, which include everything from milkshakes made with real, hand-scooped ice cream to espresso-based lattes, mochas and cappuccinos.
Patrons can build custom-made creations or choose from a list of options that include ham, egg and cheese croissants, meatball subs and pepper jack chicken wraps.
RaceTrac is working towards offering made to order at approximately 200 stores by the end of 2017.
MEETING DEMAND
Like other successful c-store operations, RaceTrac is leveraging its brand to build customer loyalty. To this end, it’s adapting its foodservice programs to meet customer preferences.
Breakfast is a good example.
After studying store purchasing patterns, RaceTrac found its top sellers from 5 a.m-10 a.m. aren’t typical breakfast items. In fact, patrons purchase a wide range of items during the early morning including energy drinks and hot dogs. In fact, three of five RaceTrac customers prefer hot dogs over doughnuts for breakfast.
As Turner has refined the growing foodservice programs for RaceTrac, he also stresses that every foodservice venture begins with some basic fundamentals.
“If it doesn’t taste good and we’re not using quality ingredients and those basic things, we’re not going to be able to grow to the level that we want to, and expect to,” Turner said.
