Food sales continue to be a hot area for truckstops and travel plazas, and a lot of operators are turning to food service to drive incremental sales and profitability. Consumer demand is proving that not only is there is a place for food service within retail operations but also that it can drive inside traffic.
“The ultimate challenge for truckstop operators and convenience-store operators, is elevating their food and creating a point of difference,” said David Henkes, advisory group senior principal at Technomic, a consulting firm that specializes in food service. “You have to think about who you are appealing to and how you’re driving them into the store. If you’re really focused on making your location a destination or bringing local consumers in as well as the truck drivers or travelers, then you have to do something different.”
Stop Watch sat down with Henkes, to learn more about the food service industry and how operators can use food to differentiate themselves. Henkes shared five tips operators can embrace to set themselves apart with today’s food trends. More