M&T Bank and NOCO Express are offering western New Yorkers a chance to win Free Gas for one year, along with four additional prizes of $100 NOCO gift cards awarded each month. The sweepstakes runs Jan. 15 to March 31. Winners will be selected in a random drawing on or about April 15. M&T Bank…
Dennis Wallis Soars With 7-Eleven Military Franchise Program
Since receiving an honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force in 1977, Dennis Wallis has spent most of his civilian career as an owner/operator of multiple convenience stores in the North Pacific region. Last month, Wallis, a former sergeant with the Aerospace Patrol Division at McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma, Wash., and his wife,…
Friendly Service Station Inc. Opens New Location
A new gas station in Wilton, Conn., is attracting customers with “fair and reasonable prices,” from its coffee bar to the gas pumps, the Wilton Bulletin reported. Trumbull, Conn.-based Friendly Service Station Inc., is the parent company of the new Citgo station and c-store on 386 Danbury Road. The store opened its doors on Dec.…
Catering to the Community
It was 1968 when Don Lamberti purchased a Boone, Iowa service station and converted it into a convenience store, launching what would eventually grow into the thriving chain known as Casey’s General Stores. By the end of its first decade, Casey’s had more than 100 locations, plus its own warehouse. To meet its growing business…
Riding the Hess Express
The first Hess gas station was opened in 1960, and the first Hess Express opened in 1997 in Daytona Beach, Fla. Hess Express was named Chain of the Year nine years ago amidst its aggressive southern retail expansion. “When we were recognized with the Chain of the Year award in 2000, we had about 900…
7-Eleven Goes Viral Targeting Younger Consumers
The latest 30-day promotion from 7-Eleven features a Battle of the Bands online music contest geared toward music lovers and younger consumers, complete with live concerts around the U.S., and new guitar-shaped Slurpee and Big Gulp cups. The contest marks the first time Slurpee has sponsored a grassroots music competition with music-enthusiasts from across the…
Make Coffee More Profitable
Tips for Preparing the Perfect Cup • Always use fresh, filtered water. • Always use fresh, whole bean coffee. Coffee is perishable: use within two weeks of roast date. • Store coffee beans in an air-tight container away from heat, light and moisture. No freezer or refrigerator. • Grind just before brewing—a timer will help…
Fabulous Freddy’s Fuels with Flair
Fabulous Freddy’s is wooing new customers with old tricks. Resurrecting the customer service of decades past, the seven-store chain headquartered in Las Vegas, offers its patrons full-service treatment at the pump, at self-service prices. “Our company’s mission statement is to provide fabulous service to everyone, and one of the ways we do that is to…
Branded Fast Food
TOP PERFORMERS Subway Subs & Salads McDonald’s Corp. Dunkin’ Brands HONORABLE MENTIONS Blimpie Dairy Queen Nothing draws a customer like credibility, and name brands come with credibility built in. Perhaps nowhere is this more true than in foodservice. Just ask John Cary, director of operations at the 38-unit Uppy’s chain in Virginia. “If we have…
Fully Prepared Hot & Cold Sandwiches
TOP PERFORMERS Deli Express (E. A. Sween Co.) Landshire Inc. Pierre Foods HONORABLE MENTIONS Jimmy Dean (Sara Lee Foodservice) Lettieri’s (Hot Stuff Foods) Proprietary foodservice programs get a lot of love and admiration for their relentless innovation and ingenuity, and even branded fast-food concepts tend to get their share of attention from convenience operators who…