Convenience retailers are prioritizing foodservice, with some chains well known for offering options on par with quick-service restaurants. Still, operating a kitchen in a c-store is different from traditional foodservice. CStore Decisions reached out to Ryan Blevins, director of food and beverage innovation at Weigel’s — which operates more than 85 stores in Tennessee and recently opened a new commissary — for his insights on managing c-store foodservice operations.
CStore Decisions/CSD: What does your role as director of food and beverage innovation entail?
Ryan Blevins (RB): As director of food and beverage innovation at Weigel’s, I lead the continuous development and optimization of our food and beverage portfolio. In partnership with our foodservice team, I build the limited-time-offer roadmap; oversee test-kitchen research and development; and validate recipes and procedures for quality, food safety and operational efficiency. I also work closely with supplier partners to source, cost and package to margin targets, keeping the guest experience at the center of every decision.
CSD: How did you get started in the food industry, and how does your background serve you now?
RB: I started in the dish pit at 19 during a college summer and was drawn to the pace, craft and camaraderie of cooking on the line. Through my 20s, I cooked across multiple cuisines, advancing to sous chef and then executive chef, which led to a corporate chef role opening restaurants and cooking in kitchens around the world in places like Italy, Thailand and South Korea. While Weigel’s is my first position in the c-store industry, that blend of hands-on culinary work, operational discipline and global exposure has been invaluable as we build and scale our foodservice program.
CSD: What do you wish you had known when first getting started in c-store foodservice?
RB: Before getting into the convenience store food industry, I wish I had fully understood just how different it is from traditional foodservice. In restaurants, the guest comes to you expecting a dining experience. In convenience retail, food is competing with fuel, snacks and a customer mindset that values speed, consistency and trust above all else. That means innovation has to be craveable but also operationally simple and executable across dozens of stores by teams with varying skill levels. Learning that balance between culinary creativity and operational reality has been one of the biggest lessons of my career in c-store foodservice.
CSD: What are the most noteworthy food and beverage options that you serve at Weigel’s?
RB: Our most noteworthy food options are by far our pizza, our breakfast Stuffed Biscuits and our Dippin’ Chicken. We just launched Knoxville Hot Chicken which is an east Tennessee riff on Nashville Hot Chicken and is doing very well with our customers that like spicy foods. We also have a made-to-order Smashburger concept in a handful of stores, soon to expand to a larger footprint. On the beverage side, our award-winning coffee program is hands down our most noteworthy beverage option.
CSD: Tell me about the kitchen setup in a typical Weigel’s store. What types of equipment are needed?
RB: There are multiple pieces of equipment that are needed to operate successfully and efficiently in a Weigel’s kitchen. First is our pizza oven. We utilize a high-speed Double Batch TurboChef for our pizza program. We have two fryers for our hand-breaded chicken tender program. We have a MerryChef oven for many of our breakfast items and sandwiches. To keep all of these foods hot, we have three or more hot holding merchandisers.
CSD: How has the new commissary had an impact on foodservice operations at the store level?
RB: Our new commissary has just begun to have an impact at our stores. The major impact can be felt by our team members in our kitchens that have a different workload, as all of the fresh cold items are now being prepared at the commissary. This allows these team members to focus on our hot food program and food safety and cleanliness. Often the cold items, like salads, were the most prep intensive, which could lead to being out of stock. Now with that preparation taken out of their hands and now being delivered assembled from the commissary, we can expect our cold cases to stay consistently in stock, which should lead to an increase in sales.
CSD: Are you working on any food/beverage innovations for the new year? Are you able to share?
RB: We are working on continuing to showcase new innovations out of our commissary. Things like grab-n-go meals, artisanal sandwiches, “better for you” and more “functional” food offerings. On the beverage side we are looking to launch our take on dirty sodas and will continue to look at how we can become a beverage destination.
CSD: What advice do you have for others looking to optimize the c-store kitchen?
RB:
- Know your customers. Listen to your customers.
- Know your capabilities.
- Don’t try to be everything to everyone.
- Keep things simple.
- Cross utilize SKUs.
- Get to know how your equipment works and how it can make things easier.
CSD: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
RB: It’s a great time to be an innovator in the c-store foodservice space. We are at a unique place where we can grab the attention of an audience that we may not have had in the past.
