Posted on 05/11/2015 8:36:18 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The hottest new pizza places are convenience stores
Pizza chains these days are watching customers drive right by, then filling up on pizza when they fill up at the gas station.
Market research company the NPD Group says that the amount of pizza dough and crust shipped to convenience stores shot up by 27% in only a year. We’re collectively buying 20% more servings of pizza from these outlets than we were a year ago, while servings at traditional carry-out pizza chains are just treading water.
Convenience stores have ramped up their food offerings and gotten more aggressive at courting people outside their core customer base of young to middle-aged blue-collar men, says NPD Group restaurant industry analyst Bonnie Riggs.
“They’ve placed a lot of focus on food service and food ready for immediate consumption,” she says. “They’re competing directly with other fast food concepts now.”
Jeff Lenard, spokesman for NACS, the National Association of Convenience Stores, says fifth-biggest pizza seller in the country — behind Dominos, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s and Little Caesars, respectively — Casey’s General Stores, an Iowa-based convenience store chain.
According to NACS, convenience stores sold $40.6 billion worth of food prepared on-site, coffee and fountain drinks in 2014, an annual increase of around 10%. That’s roughly 20% of all sales, and prepared food makes up a growing percentage of the industry’s profits.
One way they’ve done this is by doubling down on the variety and quality of food they offer, Riggs says. Chains like Wawa and Sheetz are attracting millennials and women
(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...
one piece of gas station pizza cured me for lifeof never eating another piece of it.
This is all due to the sandwich ovens (really just miniaturized steak ovens) that run at 1800o that can thoroughly cook and brown anything in 2 minutes or less.
They have pannini stone grates on the bottom that really browns the bottom, and are convection-air. You’d think they’d be 220, but they’re just regular 110, although I’m sure they have their own breaker.
I still cannot bring myself to buy prepared food where I buy gas.
I also know that so many people stop in those places to use the restrooms. I would almost feel like I am buy pizza made in a restroom.
Carbs, protein, veggies, dairy and fats.
You should pop in a 7-11 (or Circle K, any big chain) and try a slice, they’re good, crispy and hot. The owners have added an extra body who also works the register while not serving up the hot foods, although they take their time boxing up your slice to avoid not going back to cashiering :) There are condiments in wells like jalapenos, onions, pico, salsa etc. to slather on.
I read that, saw your name, read it again, looked at your name again, and LMAO!
Convenience store fast food ain’t too bad when you’re on the highway and have to be somewhere in a hurry. Pizza slices, hot dogs, sausage biscuits, etc. It’s all right there under the heat lamp. You just grab the pre-packaged crap, get a bottle of water or soda from the cold box, pay for it, and you’re on your way. You don’t have to stand in line and wait for the spongebobs behind the counter to prepare it for you.
Reminds me of that ancient visual joke: a run-down gas station/diner out in the middle of nowhere with a neon sign that says “Eat Here And Get Gas”.
We have Hunt Brothers here in NC, but I have never tried it. Is it good?
For the most part. If you’re high-sidity and expect nothing less than a Midtown ATL brick oven pizza, then you are going to be disappointed.
I’m into deep fried chicken gizzards and purple drank myself.
A gas station tradition.
Casey’s Pizza is actually quite good; the stores have full pizza kitchens. Some of the newer ones have full “Subway” style sandwich stations too. Around lunchtime, they have 5 or 6 types of Pizza available by the slice. They also have a really good breakfast pizza.
I don’t generally order whole takeout pizzas there, but grab a slice a couple of times/week. Funny story: One time that I did order a whole pizza I wanted green olives as a topping. That is not a topping that they offer, but the kid working said he would just grab a jar of olives (which they had in their little grocery section)so that he could accommodate my request. Great customer service! Except that he put the entire jar of olives, still whole, on the pizza...it was VERY “olivy”....LOL!
I remember some pretty good pizzas in midtown. However they don’t have anything comparable to that in the boonies of NC. Is it better than Pizza Hut or Domino’s?
Every now and then, we have to head up to Hwy 57 up in Priest River for a gas station buffalo burger.
Mama Mac’s is inside a real North Idaho gas station. The beer in in the coolers is mostly gawdawful moose piss like Keystone Light sold by the 24 can case. There’s also bait and ammo and hunting and fishing licenses to be had.
But there’s nothing like a hand made Mama Mac’s buffy burger fresh made from local buffalo. They also change the oil in the deep fryer often enough so you get really good tasting hand cut fries. mmmmm mmmmm
i am a fan of 7-11 coffee and McDonald's coffee...
We occasionally eat gas station fried chicken too! Great stuff when you have 11 grandchildren who almost all want a leg!
Inedible garbage. I ended up trashing it.
Exactly..!!
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