Making a Splash With Beverages
DENVER — Building a strong dispensed beverage program doesn't mean offering only the hot, cold and frozen options that have always been popular. Some of the latest successes in the beverage world have proven to be a surprise, panelists shared during Convenience Store News' 2025 Convenience Foodservice Exchange event.
During "The Power of Beverages: A Force Multiplier for Foodservice" panel, Dave Grimes, vice president of foodservice at Martin and Bayley Inc./Huck's, which has more than 130 locations across Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee, described some recent "ah-ha" moments with flavors at the soda fountain. Currently performing well are several "zero" soda options, such as Coke Zero, Dr Pepper Zero and MTN Dew Zero, as well as some exotic flavor shots like Raspberry Hibiscus, Mango Tango and Orange Ginger.
"I was the most skeptical guy, but it's working," Grimes shared. "On the coffee side, everybody has a Colombian and a House Blend, but we brought in Blueberry and it's one of our best sellers." He added that the Blueberry brew is often enhanced with a vanilla creamer. "And the smell of that, give it a whirl."
[Read more from the 2025 Convenience Foodservice Exchange: Six Quick Commissary Considerations]
As a Gen Xer, Jeff Hagans, category manager for Greenville, S.C.-based The Spinx Co., which operates more than 90 convenience stores across North and South Carolina, admitted that "I drink more sodas than I should." He's been surprised by exotic trends and how the younger generations of customers in particular are gravitating toward flavors, fizzy drinks and enhanced waters.
"This is where we're really missing the boat in c-stores, not getting ahead of the next generation in fountains," Hagans said. "I don't think where we are today is going to play well 10 years from now."
He also observed that frozen dispensed beverages are seeing "something of a comeback," adding that Spinx is leveraging this segment for limited-time opportunities and dessert promotions.
Product naming can be used to make beverages stand out from competitors, Grimes noted. All of Huck's dispensed beverages have names like Bigg Swigg, Bigg Chill and its "newest baby," Bigg Swirl. These names even lead to social media excitement, especially when "we send the Bigg Swigg guy to new store openings" and pictures are taken and posted, he explained.
Other insights shared by the retailers included:
- Redesigning cups and making color changes can equal a lift in fountain sales.
- Fresh Blends frozen drinks and smoothies are a hit.
- Iced coffee is gaining in popularity.
- There is good vendor funding for promotions, especially in coffee.
- Mascots, like Huck's Lucky the dog, are great for social media beverage buzz.
- Mystery flavors generate thrills in the beverage space.
- Chewy ice is more popular than chunky/cubed ice right now.
What Else Is Trending
The panel also featured Suzy Badaracco, president of Culinary Tides Inc., which helps its food industry partners navigate trends. She revealed that "adventure and excitement through taste" is gaining traction, along with the idea of beverages being "a thrilling comfort" to consumers.
Alcohol-free and low-alcohol drivers are impacting more and more beverage sales, she shared, noting that with the latter, "the only way there's a repeat purchase is if it tastes like the full version. Low alcohol affords consumers the ability to blend in, which eliminates the stress of standing out in social situations."
[Related content: Does Your Store Pass the Generation Taste Test?]
Low-alcohol beverages are sought out most often by Gen Z and millennials, according to Badaracco. Craft beer and spirits, including mocktails and zero-proof cocktails, are the leading non-alcoholic beverages, she said, while kombucha and fermented drinks lead in functional beverages.
Badaracco encouraged the audience to think about "drinking outside the box" when it comes to displays and promotions that combine foodservice and beverages. "Foodservice needs to play with retail a bit more," she urged.
Her "surprise" endcap suggestions included:
- Create a "Make Your Own Drink" kit with one canned or bottled beverage, one mixer and one add-in.
- Have a "Flavor Booster" station offering add-in liquids that can enhance both foodservice and packaged drinks; rotate it seasonally.
- Do unexpected pairings of shelf-stable items with foodservice beverages, inspiring more impulse purchases "from aisle to aperitif."
- Make "grab-and-go" boxed sets, pairing salty snacks with beverages that take customers beyond the cooler displays.
- Give shoppers dinner party ideas, especially around holiday time, pairing canned cocktails with hot cocoa and peppermint sticks, for example.
"Consumers value authenticity, convenience and a sense of adventure in their beverage choices today," Badaracco concluded. "Elevated experiences make up the backbone of many trends, but remember, it does not always mean higher cost."
The 10th annual Convenience Foodservice Exchange event, held May 8-9 in Denver, was an exclusive networking and experience-focused conference that gave attendees actionable knowledge and research to strengthen their foodservice business.
Sponsors of the 2025 Convenience Foodservice Exchange included gold sponsors Hunt Brothers Pizza, Johnsonville Foodservice, Krispy Krunchy Chicken, LSI Industries, Steritech, Stuffed Foods, Sugar Foods, SupplyIt by Jera Concepts and BOHA!; silver sponsors J&J Snack Foods Corp., Vollrath and Chester's Chicken; and Innovation Zone sponsor Upshop.