Retailers Will Focus on Culture at 2025 Convenience Foodservice Exchange
DENVER — After a super-successful event last year, the 10th annual Convenience Foodservice Exchange (CFX), hosted by Convenience Store News, is shaping up to be the foodservice event of the year for the convenience store industry.
Here's just a sampling of the rave reviews of last year's event from retailers and suppliers alike:
- "This event allowed foodservice leaders in the c-store industry to openly discuss challenges facing the industry and ways to meet these challenges. Having vendors participate and interact helps industry partners align the business to be able to help execute the needed solutions."
- "Great insights on what other c-stores are doing to combat the same issues we experience, whether it's labor, food, customer counts, etc."
- "The networking was amazing. So much collaboration can evolve from these sessions."
- "I met with a lot of vendors who might help me solve some challenges. Excited to see where it takes us."
- "This is a great opportunity to explore topics with the best in the industry!"
Taking place May 8-9 in Denver, this year's CFX promises to be just as successful. The theme of this year's multi-experiential event is "Firing Up a Foodservice Culture." From cutting-edge technology to proprietary food and beverage strategies to creating an exceptional service culture, the best convenience stores are differentiating themselves to win market share today and into the future.
Foodservice leaders from across the convenience channel will participate in two days of education, collaboration, networking and problem-solving as they explore the ways retailers are harnessing innovation and future-forward strategies to create a competitive advantage for themselves.
[Read more: What's On the Menu for 2025 Convenience Foodservice Exchange]
The agenda will kick off with a team presentation led by Kwik Trip Inc.'s Vice President of Foodservice Paul Servais. The La Crosse, Wis.-based chain of more than 800 convenience stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa and South Dakota is one of the more innovative convenience foodservice retailers in the world. Servais' team will discuss how the company's unique corporate culture has empowered them to exceed customer expectations.
The agenda also will tackle several other key issues through education sessions such as:
Navigating the Evolving Landscape: Moderated by independent consultant Kevin Farley, a panel of experienced c-store retailers will delve into the generational shifts driving marketplace changes, highlighting how convenience stores are adapting to meet the diverse needs and preferences of baby boomers, Generation X, millennials and Generation Z.
Competitive Differentiation in 2025 & Beyond: Tim Powell, managing principal at Foodservice IP, will examine the competitive landscape among convenience stores, quick-service restaurants and other foodservice retailers, and discuss how c-stores can deal with their biggest challenges such as space and equipment constraints and inflation.
Garnering New Customers Through Menu Innovation: The Grocerant Guru, Steve Johnson, will explore actionable strategies for leveraging menu development to garner new customers. Attendees will gain insights into how introducing new menu items — whether through copycat innovations, groundbreaking creations or generational targeting — can drive top-line sales and bottom-line profits.
The Power of Beverages: Dispensed beverages are a force multiplier for c-store foodservice. Following a presentation on the hottest beverage trends among young consumers by Culinary Tides President Suzy Baldaracco, CSNews' Senior Editor Angela Hanson will moderate a panel discussion with innovative convenience retailers Jeff Hagans of Spinx and Dave Grimes of Huck's.
Practical Strategies to Optimize Your Foodservice Growth: Chef Bob Derian, a former foodservice leader at RaceTrac Inc. and current member of the Business Accelerator Team, will share important insights around the pros and cons of a commissary/production kitchen, focusing on the needs of the multiunit operator and the opportunities a production kitchen can offer to decrease food costs and increase consistency and quality.
Maximizing C-store Foodservice Profitability Through AI Intelligence: In today's competitive convenience retail landscape, expanding your foodservice program is essential — but how do you drive growth with limited resources? Learn how data-driven modeling can identify operational efficiencies, reduce waste, optimize production and ultimately drive increased sales, all without requiring additional resources.
Shaping the Future of C-store Foodservice: This exclusive presentation of new and insightful research conducted by CSNews and its parent company EnsembleIQ will unveil key findings gathered from both convenience store shoppers and retail operators, providing a comprehensive snapshot of the current state of foodservice and a forward-looking perspective on the emerging trends resonating with increasingly influential shopper segments.
A Fireside Chat With TXB: A winner of the Prepared Foods Innovator of the Year award in three of the past five years, Jimmy Crowder, director of foodservice innovation for Texas Born, will share some of the secrets to its success in a fireside chat with CSNews' Don Longo.
As in previous years, CFX 2025 also will include the fun, insightful food and store tours that are a trademark of this event; Power Hour of one-on-one business meetings among attendees; and the presentation of CSNews' annual Foodservice Innovators Awards.
Attendance is by invitation only. Convenience store retailers may request an invite from Longo at [email protected]. Sponsorships are available for suppliers, distributors and solution providers. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Sandra Parente, Group Publisher/SVP, NA Convenience, at [email protected].