Tuesday Trends
What’s Next for food
3-Part Series on Nostalgia and its Impact on Food and Restaurants.
Hi all, here’s your Tuesday Trend news!
Part 3 – Food producers and restaurant owners/entrepreneurs: Here’s my take on the QSR trend by Convenience Stores and what it means for Local Food Producers and General Stores.
Placer AI says that convenience stores are turning into the new “quick-service restaurants.” The reason for it is that consumers see they can get higher value at a convenience store over a QSR. Also, the meals are quick, filling and budget-friendly. And c-stores are leaning into that shift offering fresh menu items that challenge the perception of a gas station food.
Placer AI offers an example in Wawa (a NJ/DC/PA geographic-centered convenience store chain), and claims monthly visits by consumers to WaWa have outperformed Quick Service Restaurants in each of the last 6 months.
Chris Carr
Founder & CEO, Launch Mechanic & Village
WaWa is getting more market share with its fresh food, quick, filling and budget friendly food.
What does this mean for the local restaurants and small general stores? Your customers want quick, filling and budget friendly food. You have an advantage because your food will always be better than anything a convenience store will buy in bulk. Hands down.
Your customers want fresh food. This is your superpower. If you can currently make a food specialty product, emphasize fresh and local. You may do that already, but keep doing it, and do it loudly.
If convenience stores can replace quick stop restaurants, why can’t general stores and country stores capture a piece of the convenience store play? Sure we may not have general stores on every corner but I challenge you to find a better chicken pot pie than the one made by the Mont Vernon General Store, or an authentic and imaginative slice of pizza at the Mill Village Country Store in Stoddard.
I hear you. You’re thinking, “offer my products at the General Store?!” I’m not sleeping now! When am I supposed to find time to get my products over to the General Store.
Here’s a thought: if your products are on display at other locations, well labeled, with information about where they came from, this increases visibility for you, your craft, and your restaurant or business. Think laterally to raise visibility.
Reach out to your local General Store and ask them what they think!
Consider what you are offering already that could add value and interest to your local store’s current merch!
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