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Understanding consumer expectations and preferences has become critical to a retailer’s success in today’s operating environment. Successful businesses must stay ahead of the curve by identifying and adapting to emerging trends, whether in consumer behavior, drivers’ needs or industry practices.
Food offerings continue to help travel centers and truck stops stand out.
Food offerings are a key differentiator that can make truck stops and travel centers standout from the competition and bring drivers inside. Jessica Williams, CEO of Food Forward Thinking, said professional drivers get tired of the same old thing, and she is seeing more and more locations add non-traditional quick-service and fast-casual franchises and licenses to help their businesses stand out.
A NATSO Services’ survey found that food offerings are one of the top factors that can bring drivers inside, including food from a national brand they recognize and out-of-the-ordinary food offerings.
Williams recommends that locations offer menu items that provide an unexpected twist on the familiar by offering new flavors, sauces or proteins.
The National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot 2024 Culinary Forecast said global flavors will rule supreme, including soups and stews such as Birria, Chicken Tom Kha, Laksa, Salmorejo and upscale ramen, along with global chicken wings and international BBQ.
“Different regions of the country have thriving immigrant populations. Offering a familiar cuisine could meet a regional or demographic demand. In addition, East Asian cuisine is gaining in popularity,” NATSO’s Vice President Membership Darren Schulte said. “You’d be surprised at how much packaged sushi you can sell.”
Speed is always a priority, and Schulte said the NATSO Services survey indicated that 67% of drivers are looking for fast, fresh, hot and cold grab-and-go or a national fast food or quick-serve chain.
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Want more Trends Shaping the Truck Stop and Travel Center Industry in 2024? Access the Eight Trends Shaping the Truck Stop and Travel Center Industry in 2024 Toolkit from the NATSO Foundation here. |
// This article was created for Stop Watch magazine, the magazine of the NATSO Foundation. The NATSO Foundation is the research, education and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO, Inc. The NATSO Foundation provides programs and products to strengthen travel plazas’ ability to meet the traveling public's needs through improved operational performance and business planning. Visit www.natsofoundation.org for more information. (Donate to the NATSO Foundation here.)
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