On Sunday, Feb. 21, 7-Eleven’s President and CEO Joe DePinto appeared on the CBS show Undercover Boss, going incognito at his company, disguised as new recruit “Danny.” DePinto got a taste of life at the store level, making coffee, cleaning restrooms, riding in a delivery truck, working the graveyard shift and learning the ropes at…

Ramsey, N.J. Quick Chek representatives have presented a donation of $1,234 to members of the Ramsey Ambulance Corps. The donation represents $0.25 for every sub, sandwich and wrap sold during the store’s first 30 days in operation following its recent grand opening celebration.  Located at 40 N.J. State Route 17 North, the new store includes…

Ten years ago, “experts” warned the coffee industry was becoming saturated; then they said it again five years ago and once more two years ago. Turns out they were wrong every time. There’s not a convenience store operator in America who doesn’t work at building coffee sales and expanding dayparts thanks to the category’s excellent…

Rutter’s is reminding customers that it has free WiFi at select locations, allowing customers who stop in for coffee to sit down with their laptop while they finish a hot dispensed beverage. The WiFi at Rutter’s can instantly be accessed once customers are within a certain distance from select locations. A customer’s digital device, whether…

At first look, boosting business with breakfast sales may seem like a strange idea in these tough economic times as today’s high unemployment means fewer workers stopping for breakfast en route to work. The fact that teenagers and men between the ages of 18-35, who are some of the c-store industry’s most frequent visitors, have…

Sophisticated customers are demanding foodservice programs that keep the menu fresh by rotating options and adding new products and flavors. Dan Rotherham, director of operations at Feather Petroleum Inc., which operates 18 Stop ‘n Save c-stores in Colorado, has seen firsthand how adding new products and streamlining store menus has helped business. “We strive to…

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…

Since its invention about half a century ago, the frozen dispensed beverage has become a convenience store tradition, with three out of every four U.S. convenience outlets housing a frozen beverage bar. While frozen dispensed beverages are not a huge portion of the typical store’s overall sales, the product is profitable, thanks to a gross…

C-store operators burning the midnight oil thinking of ways to increase their business may have inadvertently stumbled upon their answer. While late night has grown into an identifiable daypart on its own, too many retailers either haven’t yet recognized it as such or simply don’t have the traffic to warrant promoting it. But for those…

Savvy c-store operators are using customer loyalty/scan-data-analysis programs to improve merchandise planning, forecasting and point-of-sale (POS) data management, and to provide a technology platform for long-term growth. When done well, the inevitable result is to empower store personnel to react quickly, make more informed decisions and improve cost effectiveness, so they can simplify customers’ lives.…