STORE SPOTLIGHT
Foodservice First FriendShip Kitchen is making an impact in the competitive Columbus market By Don Longo
in convenience store foodservice are often focused on the largest chains. However, Tim Powell, managing principal of foodservice consulting firm FoodserviceIP, points out the real opportunity for growth lies among medium-sized chains that are aggressively increasing their foodservice profile and changing the way consumers think about c-store food.
THE GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITIES
At a Glance
FriendShip Kitchen Size: Two formats, 5,000 and 5,500 square feet Location: Columbus, Ohio Unique features: Restaurant-quality food, including FriendShip Famous Chicken; a spacious, modern retail environment; open kitchen; walk-in beer cave; touchfree airportstyle bathrooms
“Where is the growth? Mid-tier concepts that are growing their footprints,” Powell told Convenience Store News during a recent visit to the hypercompetitive Columbus, Ohio, market that includes Duchess Stores, GetGo, United Dairy Farmers, Speedway, Marathon and, most recently, Sheetz, which announced plans to open as many as 50 stores in the area. FriendShip, the retail division of Fremont, Ohio-based Beck Suppliers, represents the type of midsized retailer that is using foodservice and a strong corporate culture to differentiate itself and grow in this heartland market. The company, which also operates a thriving fuel distribution business to hundreds of independent dealers, a propane and heating oil division, a fuel transport
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business and a facilities division that builds and maintains fueling facilities and car washes, introduced its food-first FriendShip Kitchen brand concept in 2018. FriendShip Kitchen features restaurantquality food, including FriendShip Famous Chicken, fuel and a spacious modern retail environment, complete with a walk-in beer cave, open kitchen and touchfree airport-style bathrooms. FriendShip Kitchen now accounts for 15 of the retailer’s 28 stores, which stretch from the shores of Lake Erie, from Toledo to Cleveland. “Culture is the most important thing to our company. The key is getting the culture right,” said FriendShip President Greg Ehrlich, who sat down with CSNews at the company’s store in Lewis Center, about 20 miles north of downtown Columbus. Ehrlich, an industry veteran who previously served in leadership positions with Duchess Shoppes and Certified Oil, said FriendShip is focused on three main things: “Culture, brand, and data analytics.” Note that he listed culture first. Since
