Guide to Foodservice: Optimizing The Lunch Daypart
NATIONAL REPORT — If convenience retailers are right, lunch may be the foodservice daypart that currently offers the most opportunity. When asked to predict which daypart would see the most sales growth for full-year 2024, 42% of the retailers who participated in the 2024 Convenience Store News Foodservice Study said lunch, compared to 22% for breakfast and 13% for dinner.
To maximize their foodservice sales at midday, though, c-store operators must position themselves as a better option than quick-service restaurants (QSRs) and fast-casual operators, both of which currently garner higher quality ratings than the convenience channel.
[Read more: A Retailer's Guide to Future-Proofing Foodservice]
Speed of service is also a key performance driver for QSRs and fast-casual locations, according to foot traffic analytics firm Placer.ai, which noted that brands such as Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A and McDonald's are investing in technologies and systems that enable them to serve customers quicker.
Upping the pace isn't the only way c-stores can stay competitive at lunchtime, however. Without enticing, high-quality offerings, a c-store will not even be in the consideration set. "Customers eat with their eyes first," Ryan Blevins, director of food and beverage at Powell, Tenn.-based Weigel's Stores Inc., noted during the 2024 NACS Show.
Weigel's evolved its chicken tenders program from a "frozen, formed and flat" offer to today's "fresh, farmed and flavorful" Dippin' Chicken. This included a shift to lidless trays inside the warmer, an intentional choice to ensure customers would see the quality of the new program.
While other considerations such as price and sustainability also play a part in packaging options, Blevins urges his fellow retailers to take a product-centric approach. "Think about how you want to merchandise the product. That drives the packaging selection," he said.
This focus on visual appeal should extend to marketing as well. Blevins shared that Weigel's made it a point to step up its game in terms of food photography. He advises working with experienced agencies to better showcase menu items.
Enticing customers at lunchtime may also be as simple as rolling out the right deal or promotion at the right time, especially considering that price/value is currently top of mind among c-store shoppers that already purchase prepared food. In recent months, c-store chains have rolled out price-conscious offers such as Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc./Circle K's permanent lineup of Meal Deals ranging from $3 to $5 depending on the included items, and QuickChek's limited-time discounted price of $3.99 for its most popular six-inch subs.
"Getting what you want the way you want it should be a pleasure, not a luxury," said Blake Segal, senior vice president of Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based QuickChek, a part of Murphy USA Inc. "Consumers are seeking the best value at every meal. We want to help them do that without sacrificing on taste, brands and the little indulgences that add joy to the day."
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