PHOTO GALLERY: 2024 Foodservice Innovators Awards Winners Celebrated
TAMPA, Fla. — The theme of this year's Convenience Store News Convenience Foodservice Exchange (CFX) event was "Finding Your Secret Sauce,” so it was fitting that 10 c-store retailers that have excelled at differentiation through outstanding foodservice were honored during the event with 2024 Foodservice Innovators Awards.
Now in its 13th year, the Foodservice Innovators Awards program has been recognizing best-in-class convenience foodservice retailers annually since 2012. Winners are chosen by the CSNews Foodservice Advisory Council, a panel of foodservice experts from the retailer, supplier, wholesaler, research and consulting fields.
Emceed by CSNews Editorial Director Emeritus Don Longo, the awards ceremony celebrated:
Prepared Foods Innovator of the Year:
- Gold Medal: Twice Daily
- Silver Medal: Rutter's
Dispensed Beverages Innovator of the Year:
- Gold Medal: Curby's Express Market
- Silver Medal: 7-Eleven Inc.
Best Use of Technology in Foodservice Operations:
- Gold Medal: Casey's General Stores Inc.
- Silver Medal: Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc./Circle K
Foodservice Innovator to Watch:
- Gold Medal: Murphy USA Inc./QuickChek
- Silver Medal: OnCue
Foodservice Innovator of the Year:
- Gold Medal: Wawa Inc.
- Silver Medal: GetGo
Accepting the top honor of the evening, Wawa's Director of Fresh Food and Beverage Mendy Meriweather said "it's all about team effort" at the Pennsylvania-based company.
"Our biggest innovations really come from our associates, our internal and external partners, and our customers," she said. "There's a ton of collaboration across the board to include really all of our partners who are incredibly passionate about taking service to the customer to the next level — and that's what makes us great. Everything we do is rooted in feedback. It's never about who has the best idea but more, can we come together and make it work or make it better."
This was the third Foodservice Innovator of the Year title won by Wawa, which was also honored in 2013 and 2017. "The company just doesn't slow down at all," Longo remarked.
-
Convenience Store News Editorial Director Emeritus Don Longo (center) presents the Prepared Foods Innovator of the Year gold award to Eric Rush and Rachel Saddler of Tri Star Energy/Twice Daily. -
Richard Cashion accepts the Dispensed Beverages Innovator of the Year gold award on behalf of Curby’s Express Market. -
Deanna Hall accepts the Dispensed Beverages Innovator of the Year silver award on behalf of 7-Eleven. -
Casey’s team members (l to r) Richard Harms, Brian Nuzum, Shelby Schaefer and Caleb Woods accept the Best Use of Technology in Foodservice Operations gold award. -
Circle K team members (l to r) Julie Zathang, Jason Borror and Tera Barnes accept the Best Use of Technology in Foodservice Operations silver award. -
Murphy USA’s Foodservice Innovator to Watch gold award is presented to (l to r) Daniel Haskell, Wendy Lyman, David Sparrow, Sean Sharpe, Yarelis Benitez and Shawn Barnes. -
OnCue’s Foodservice Innovator to Watch silver award is presented to (l to r) Victoria Hammer, Becca Howard and Brad Essary. -
Wawa’s Mendy Meriweather accepts the Foodservice Innovator of the Year gold award. -
GetGo team members (l to r) Tom Seaman, Alyson Greenlee, Kristi Kania, Jenni Yappel, Terri Micklin and Larry Galley accept the Foodservice Innovator of the Year silver award.
The 2024 Convenience Foodservice Exchange took place May 2-3 in Tampa. The ninth-annual CFX event was an exclusive networking and experience-focused conference that gave attendees actionable knowledge and research to strengthen their foodservice business. Multiple executives from leading food-focused convenience store chains spoke at the event.
Sponsors of the 2024 Convenience Foodservice Exchange included gold sponsors Ferrero Foodservice, Hunt Brothers Pizza, The J.M. Smucker Co., Krispy Krunchy Chicken, LSI Industries Inc., Southern Visions LLP, Stuffed Foods LLC and Sugar Foods Corp.; silver sponsors Steritech and Supplyit by Jera Concepts; and Innovation Zone sponsors Bite Inc., Shiftsmart and Upshop.
About the Author
