Road Runner Welcomes International Bakery Into Its Stores

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Coulson Oil Co.'s Road Runner convenience stores now offer Fornetti, an international bakery, at select locations across Arkansas.

Fornetti's breads, pastries and donuts are baked on-site at Conway, Fort Smith, Heber Springs, Little Rock and Hot Springs Road Runner locations, reported Arkansas Business.

The European bakery expects to be in all Road Runner stores throughout Arkansas by spring 2017, according to Fornetti USA CEO Nick Peters.

"We are truly excited to partner with Road Runner as we know locals will love our baked goods the moment they try them," Peters commented. "Road Runner's track record in leading the market with innovative concepts make them a natural partner for us as we introduce even more consumers to the great tastes of Fornetti in-store bakeries."

According to Peters, the convenience store market is growing despite older-generation consumers viewing it as a “second-rate food supplier.”

"The c-store market is going through a reshape," Peters told the news outlet. "Giant stores have saturated the market. The growth now is in convenience stores so we're starting to see convenience stores rebrand, remodel and improve."

With millennials as the largest demographic group visiting c-stores, retailers must improve the quality of the food they serve because millennials care more about ingredients than other customers, Peters added.

At Fornetti, food is prepared in the factory where pastries are proofed and frozen, then baking takes place in store. There, ovens have scanners that read barcodes on each product telling it how long to bake and at what temperature. Most items take 15-20 minutes.

Based in Kecskemét, Hungary, Fornetti has 8,000 European locations inside convenience stores and supermarkets, as well as standalone stores. According to Peters, the company wants to bring standalone stores to the U.S. It plans to test the concept in California and Texas in the next few months. 

North Little Rock-based Coulson Oil Co. operates Road Runner convenience stores across the state of Arkansas.