NACS SHOW REWIND: Delivering a Verdict on Gas Station Food
LAS VEGAS — Judge, restaurateur and social media food critic Stafford Shurden had these words of advice for convenience store operators attending an education session at the 2004 NACS Show in Las Vegas: "To turn your c-store into a destination, you have to think like a restaurant. Keep it simple. Delight your customers and never stop pushing the boundaries."
Shurden, a former judge and owner of Stafford's Market and Deli in Drew, Miss., shared learnings he uncovered while touring the southeastern United States doing video blogs reviewing gas station food during "Transforming Your Menu Like a Restaurant."
Of the hundreds of gas stations he visited while filming "The Gas Station Tailgate Review," Stafford picked out a few examples of individual stores that have created raving fans with their unique food offerings. Examples included:
- Dion's Quick Chik in Key West with the most sought after fried chicken in south Florida.
- Ben's Texaco in Corinth, Miss., which has lifelong devotees to its fried chicken.
- NFA (No Fooling Around) Burger, located inside a gas station in Atlanta, and boasts the best burger in Georgia.
- Joe's BBQ in Kansas City, Kan., a gas station that made the list of "one of the 11 places to eat before you die" by the late author, chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain.
In terms of keeping things simple, he quoted the owner of NFA Burger, Billy Kramer, who said, "I have no interest in mediocrity. I'd rather do one thing perfectly than a lot of things imperfectly."
Shurden noted that success doesn't have to be complicated. "Find your unique identity. Create a simple, repeatable menu, and sell your employees [on it] first," he advised.
It's also important to stay ahead of the curve and never settle for less than your best, he stressed. "Be the best in the space in which you operate and remember you don't have to make enormous changes or upgrades right away. Make daily incremental changes and soon you will be the best at what you do," Shurden said.
[Read more: Convenience Store News Recognized for Foodservice Coverage]
For smaller retailers who often have trouble creating standard operating procedures, he noted that ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence app, is an easy, inexpensive way to create a procedural manual.
And, remember, "if you are an owner, then you are responsible for everything. Not the cashier. Not the cook. You," he said.
The 2024 NACS Show took place Oct. 7-10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The 2025 NACS Show will be hosted at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center from Oct. 14-17.