Nick Powell, corporate chef for QuikTrip Corp., has helped guide the convenience store retailer to the top of the foodservice pyramid. By David Bennett, Senior Editor While working in research and development for Tulsa, Okla.-based Bama Frozen Dough Co. seven years ago, Nick Powell enjoyed being part of a hometown company with a big business…
How Flory’s Is Carving Its Own Niche
With a full-service deli business, idiosyncratic stores and strong community ties, this second-generation convenience chain is the best pit stop in the eastern Hudson Valley. By David Bennett, Senior Editor During the heyday of travel on Route 66, gas stations had their own unique identities. Akin to motels adorned with massive wagon wheels or furnished…
FriendShip Enjoys Smooth Sailing
With its expanded Anchor Café foodservice program, new store locations and stronger customer engagement, Ohio-based FriendShip Food Stores is charting its course for the future. By David Bennett, Senior Editor Situated between Toledo and Cleveland, the Ohio city of Port Clinton means walleye fishing, the dizzying roller coasters of Cedar Point and the eminence of Lake…
Alternative Fuels Gain Traction
Retailers such as OnCue Express and Kum & Go are cultivating business opportunities by offering consumers more options at the pump. By David Bennett, Senior Editor After much hand wringing on various fronts, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued its final rule, establishing renewable volume obligations for 2014, 2015 and 2016. The EPA did…
A Vision for the Future
This retailer’s natural growth progression and organic ingenuity has it well suited to compete in the New York state marketplace. By David Bennett, Senior Editor Not every convenience store operates with a full vision for the future. Some in the industry seem to function in the dark for the most part, blindly trying new innovations…
How To Heighten The Customer Experience
More c-stores are coming up with innovative concepts to heighten the customer experience, resulting in increased sales. By David Bennett, Senior Editor In the competitive climate, in which convenience stores operate, one of the biggest advantages that the channel holds over other retail segments is obviously convenience. It’s the one business aspect that other channels…
How Duchess is Growing With Foodservice
With its prototype store now open to the public, Englefield Oil’s Duchess brand is positioned to build upon its legacy as Ohio’s ever-evolving c-store chain. By David Bennett, Senior Editor As two children looked longingly at the new frozen drink dispenser, tethered balloons wafted away from the heat that escaped from the hot pizzas taken…
NACS Sessions Explore Design and Food
Foodservice is moving from a key concept to critical component for c-store operators. By David Bennett, Senior Editor NACS 2015 continued Oct 13 with various education sessions meant to inform and explore. Many attendees packed the room to hear discussions from a session, titled, “The Psychology of Store Design.” Joseph Bona, president of the retail…
NACS Experts Get Fresh
Retailers learn the benefits of fresher food options, as well as cutting costs. By David Bennett, Senior Editor Fresh is easier said than done, especially in the convenience store business. But for operators looking to introduce fresh food options in their stores, there’s practical ways to go forward, according to a panel that shed some…
NACS Discusses Fuel, Employees and Branding
NACS 2015 kicks off with education sessions that strike at the core of c-store operations. By David Bennett, Senior Editor In the session, Preparing Your Infrastructure for Future Fuels, Norman Turiano, principal of Turiano Strategic Consulting, theorized that because gasoline costs will likely rise again, alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) will continue to increase in number…