Global flavors are no longer niche menu additions, they’re part of the mainstream expectation across all foodservice, including convenience retail. Nearly half of consumers have eaten a globally influenced dish within the past week, according to Datassential’s 2025 Global Foods Keynote. Further findings from that report indicate 68 percent of shoppers say they purchase a mix of familiar and new items each visit, suggesting a clear opening for operators to offer foods that feel both approachable and adventurous.
The challenge, of course, is execution. Convenience store foodservice programs need items that are easy to prepare, easy to merchandise, and easy for customers to enjoy on the go. CJ Schwan’s is positioning its MINH® Egg Rolls to help operators answer that demand. With options that deliver bold flavor, portability, and easy preparation from frozen, the lineup offers c-stores a practical way to add variety and premium appeal across dayparts.
According to Datassential’s 2025 Global Foods Keynote, 70 percent of operators say that customers’ demand for globally-inspired food is increasing in their operations. “When I look at what’s moving on roller grills, bold and globally inspired flavors win every time,” says Chef Tommy Hearn, corporate executive chef. “People are more curious about food than ever. They travel, they scroll, they eat out, and they want those flavors everywhere, including in convenience stores. Our job at CJ Schwan’s is to meet them there with something that really delivers.”
CJ Schwan’s approaches egg roll innovation by first honoring the format’s roots in Asian cuisine. That means starting with quality ingredients, a traditional crispy wrapper and bold, balanced fillings that reflect the product’s original appeal. From there, the team looks at the flavor profiles consumers are already gravitating toward and explores how those flavors can be translated into the egg roll format in a way that feels both relevant and approachable.
“Products like the MINH® Buffalo Chicken Egg Roll, MINH® Philly Cheesesteak Egg Roll, and MINH® Breakfast Egg Roll are all examples of that process,” Hearn says. “They bring familiar flavors into an innovative format. Everything gets tested hard for hold times, texture, and overall eating experience. If it doesn’t perform like something you’d expect from a restaurant, it doesn’t make the cut.”
For operators, the appeal of fusion flavors goes beyond trend appeal alone. They offer a practical way to introduce something different without straying too far from the tastes consumers already know and enjoy. In the c-store environment, where trial often depends on instant recognition, that balance can be especially valuable. By pairing a familiar flavor profile with an established handheld format, operators can create a sense of novelty while keeping the offering approachable—a strategy reflected in CJ Schwan’s new MINH® Beef Taco Egg Roll.
“Tacos are one of the most loved flavor profiles in America,” Hearn says. “When you put that inside a crispy egg roll wrapper, it just makes sense. It’s familiar enough that people will grab it without hesitation, but different enough to feel exciting. From an operator standpoint, it fits right onto the roller grill with everything else—no new equipment, no new procedures, just more variety and another reason for customers to come back.”
CJ Schwan’s MINH® Buffalo Chicken Egg Roll and MINH® Philly Cheesesteak Egg Roll are other flavors in the portfolio that exemplify the power of fusion flavors. “The egg roll format makes them feel new without making them feel risky,” Hearn says. “That’s a powerful combination, especially for impulse purchases. Once someone tries one and it’s actually good, they come back—this excitement is what turns a one-time trial into a habit.”
In convenience stores, adding menu variety is only valuable if it does not create new labor challenges. With many operators already running lean, simplicity and consistency are essential to any successful foodservice addition. “Our products go straight from frozen to the roller grill,” Hearn says. “There’s no skilled labor, no extra equipment, and no training overhaul. An operator can double their roller grill variety overnight without adding a single extra step.”
Ease of execution remains one of the most important considerations for c-store operators, particularly in stores where employees are balancing responsibilities across the operation. Often, the same employee working the front of house is also helping in the back of house, so simple products that are easy to execute consistently are essential.
As convenience stores continue to strengthen their foodservice programs, ingredient quality is becoming an increasingly important point of differentiation. Operators are no longer just competing with other c-stores for food sales—they’re also competing with quick-service restaurants that have helped raise consumer expectations around flavor, freshness, and overall eating experience. To win more food occasions, c-store operators need offerings that feel convenient while still delivering the quality consumers associate with restaurant meals.
“Texture and quality are everything for c-stores,” Hearn says. “Grab and go lives or dies on texture. If that wrapper goes soft on the roller grill, you’ve lost the customer—maybe permanently. So our team engineers these wrappers specifically for hold time. They stay crispy, hold their structure, and still look appealing under the heat lamp.”
The filling matters just as much. “Operators need quality ingredients, real spices, and bold flavor, because convenience store customers are making snap decisions,” Hearn says. “If the food is good, they tell people, if it’s not, they don’t come back.”
That emphasis on quality can also help c-stores serve as an accessible entry point for consumers exploring new flavors. Oftentimes ordering something adventurous at a restaurant can feel like a big financial commitment. However, trying it in a c-store tends to be lower risk and more affordable, making c-stores a great place for consumers to get introduced to new flavors.
As c-store operators look to the future of foodservice, egg rolls offer more than just immediate menu appeal, they present a versatile platform for continued innovation. “I think the egg roll wrapper is one of the best platforms in foodservice,” Hearn says. “It’s crispy, portable, works any time of day, and doesn’t require utensils. We’re just getting started with what it can do. Breakfast proved you can win in the morning. Beef Taco proved you can go Tex-Mex with it. There are still a lot of cuisines left to explore, and the roller grill is a great stage for that. I’ll just say this: we’ve got some very exciting things in the works.”
That future-facing potential comes with a clear call to act now. “This isn’t a trend you wait on; it’s customers telling you what they want,” Hearn says. “The biggest opportunity is right on the roller grill: more flavors, more dayparts, and more reasons to stop and buy. Operators who start building that variety now are going to be the food destinations of the next five years.”
To learn more about how MINH® Egg Rolls can help expand c-store foodservice offerings, visit CJ Schwan’s website.
By Abby Winterburn
