Meet Cold & Frozen Dispensed Beverages Innovator of the Year: RaceTrac Petroleum

ATLANTA — RaceTrac Petroleum Inc., the 720-store convenience chain, is no stranger to the winner’s circle in the cold and frozen beverages category of Convenience Store News’ annual Foodservice Innovators Awards program, presented in partnership with Tyson Convenience.

The Atlanta-based retailer was voted Cold & Frozen Beverages Innovator of the Year in 2013, 2015, and is now a three-time winner with its 2017 achievement.

Foodservice Innovator of the Year winners are chosen by CSNews’ Foodservice Advisory Council, a panel of foodservice experts from the retailer, supplier, wholesaler, research and consulting fields. Winners are recognized for raising the bar on quality, service and innovation in the fast-growing and critically important foodservice category in the convenience channel.

RaceTrac has turned its “Sodapalooza” promotion into an iconic industry event. Last year, the promotion featured a 2017 Sodapalooza cup with $30 to $150 in exclusive coupons, and bottomless free summer refills on its fountain and “NumbSkull” frozen drinks. The Sodapalooza promotion continues to impress, according to our judges.

RaceTrac’s oversized fountain has many specialty flavors, including a six- to eight-head noncarbonated fountain offer of vitaminwater, punch, lemonade and tea.

“Their daily, fresh-brewed-on-premise iced tea offer is comprised of four flavors and, for each tea, there is a matching pre-sweetened urn, thus extending the tea offer from four to eight urns,” explained a member of the CSNews Foodservice Advisory Council.

RaceTrac also has a good variety of slush flavors and granitas. What’s more, its Swirl World frozen yogurt by the ounce, with a toppings bar, is an impressive offering that has apparently caught on well with customers.

“And they are always working on new beverage program innovations,” said another judge.