Back Demo Days
Demo Days
04-14-2026 by Mindy Long How to Innovate in Food Service: Lessons from Travel Centers

Innovation in food service isn’t just about trendy new menu items. For truck stop and travel center operators, food service innovation can help draw in customers, reduce friction and improve margins while also ensuring locations deliver food that people actually crave.

During the NATSO Connect Food Focus Forum at NATSO Connect 2026, three industry leaders shared practical ways to think about and execute innovation.
04-14-2026
08-06-2025 by NATSO Foundation Travel Center Trend: Offering Food Faster

For Class 8 truck drivers, hours-of-service regulations and electronic logging devices strictly dictate how they must spend their time. Finding new ways to shorten the distance between drivers at the fuel island and fresh food continues to trend in the travel center industry.

Darren Schulte, NATSO’s vice president, membership, said now is the ideal time for operators to focus on food. “We are going through a food offering revolution in travel centers. This is one of the most exciting times to be in the food space in travel centers,” he said.

Bringing food closer to the driver, strengthening grab-and-go food offerings and finding new ways to speed drivers through a location can increase convenience, boost sales and make a location a preferred stop.  
08-06-2025
06-23-2025 by Amy Toner The NATSO Foundation Seeks Applications for Newly Created Food and Beverage Steering Council

Food is a critical part of truck stops and travel centers’ offerings, and it continually helps locations stand out from the competition. The NATSO Foundation’s new Food and Beverage Steering Council is bringing together experts to share their insights and knowledge to help steer the industry in this important profit center.

“QSRs, beverage companies, wholesale supply chains—these companies all have a wealth of knowledge to guide travel center operators on their food offerings,” said Amy Toner, executive director of the NATSO Foundation. “We’ve formed the NATSO Foundation Food and Beverage Steering Council to ensure travel centers remain relevant amidst evolving consumer food, buying, and travel habits.”
06-23-2025
10-17-2023 by Amy Toner NATSO Foundation Podcast Explores Opportunities at Travel Centers To Grow Wallet Share From Professional Drivers

To help operators understand recent research on professional drivers and what it means for the industry, the NATSO Foundation created the Opportunities Abound at Travel Centers to Serve Professional Drivers and Grow Wallet Share Toolkit.

Christine Schoessler, COO of NATSO and Amy Toner, Executive Director of the NATSO Foundation, discuss the survey results on the foundation’s podcast.
10-17-2023

Active Alerts:

For all alerts and more info please visit: www.AmberAlert.gov