Sponsored by Hunt Brothers Pizza
There are lessons that come from more than 35 years partnering with c-store operators, and the biggest one may be the simplest: none of it works without them.
Hunt Brothers Pizza is grateful to serve more than 11,000 locations nationwide, but the company is quick to say the credit belongs to the operators who show up every day to make the program work.
That gratitude shapes how Hunt Brothers Pizza thinks about its role. Independent operators often put in 70 or more hours a week and juggle labor shortages, unreliable vendors, and competitive pricing while trying to offer high-quality food. The company’s goal has never been to add to that list-it’s to lighten it.
“There was an opportunity to really help c-store operators,” says Bryan Meng, chief culture officer at Hunt Brothers Pizza. “Convenience stores need a simple, consistent program that allows them to serve their customers during all dayparts with high-quality products.
Owners also needed a program with a quick return on investment, and clear profit margins they always could rely on. Operators pay the same price every week, and they don’t have to guess what they’re making.”
That predictability, Meng says, comes from 35 years of listening and learning. “If a store can be a foodservice destination in the community, it can really make a difference,” he says. “Strong foodservice options are increasingly important for convenience stores, especially as margins on traditional categories like gas and cigarettes remain under pressure. We try to remember that every store we serve is somebody’s livelihood.”
Part of what makes the program work is a willingness to say no to anything that doesn’t add real value for the operator. From free marketing support to annual LTOs that give local customers a reason to return, the program has been continuously refined over 35 years-to keep things as simple and profitable as possible for the people running the stores.
“We work with operators of all sizes and across all types of store environments, each with their own unique needs and ways of doing business,” Meng says. “No matter the setup, our goal is to provide the same level of service and support while making foodservice as simple and successful as possible for every operator.”
The approach starts with a custom equipment package built around each store’s own layout and goals, with a footprint as compact as 59 square feet. Weekly account-manager visits-covering inventory replenishment, marketing, and training-along with on-site help during a store’s opening are less about oversight and more about simply serving the operators who’ve put their trust in the program.
Hunt Brothers Pizza doesn’t measure its success by its own size. It measures it by whether the store down the road is doing better because of the partnership. “We don’t succeed unless they succeed,” Meng says-and that’s still the only measure that matters to the Hunt Brothers team.
For more information on the Hunt Brothers Pizza program, visit their website.
