Evolving in Excellence

Casey’s leads the 11th class of Foodservice Innovators Awards winners

By Angela Hanson

THERE IS NO ONE way to be innovative. Foodservice innovation can mean taking a new approach to menu offerings, flavor additions, brand development or any number of factors that affect the success of the category, now one of the most vital within the convenience channel.

Winners of the 2022 Foodservice Innovators Awards have demonstrated with flying colors their ability to innovate around prepared food and dispensed beverages, and push their programs to the head of the competitive pack. Each year, Convenience Store News recognizes c-store retailers that are raising the bar on quality, service and innovation in the foodservice category.

First launched in 2012, honorees are chosen annually by the CSNews Foodservice Advisory Council, a panel of foodservice experts from the retailer, supplier, wholesaler, research and consulting fields. This year’s slate of five honorees are retailers with sterling reputations that are proving their foodservice excellence in a variety of ways. They were celebrated in June at the 2022 Convenience Foodservice Exchange event hosted by CSNews in Charlotte, N.C.

FOODSERVICE INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR: Casey’s General Stores Inc.

This year’s top foodservice innovator, Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey’s, is a first-time winner that has built a legacy of quality foodservice, but proved it can succeed with a whole new offering.

Long known as a leader in pizza, Casey’s made waves with its first-ever breakfast menu, which at launch featured a handmade, signature, handheld Toastwich sandwich using the brand’s madefrom-scratch dough, a loaded breakfast burrito, and a loaded breakfast bowl. This was paired with a new freshbrewed, bean-to-cup coffee program offering six flavors.

Casey's was applauded for its breakfast launch and intentions to explore further menu introductions.

When Casey’s rolled out breakfast in September 2021, Chief Merchandising Officer Tom Brennan called the lineup the most significant step in Casey’s food journey in the past 40 years.

“Casey’s has always set an early morning alarm to start the coffee and roll out our made-from-scratch dough,” Brennan told CSNews at the time. “Now, we’re serving new and improved breakfast items and bean-to-cup coffee that will ‘wow’ our regular guests and attract new ones.”

Casey’s breakfast menu proceeded to exceed expectations and help revitalize the morning daypart. Six months after its debut, the company reported that breakfast daypart same-store sales were up 17 percent during its fiscal 2022 third quarter compared to the prior year, with the Toastwich serving as a major driver and example of innovation for the future.

This year’s judges, in addition to praising Casey’s overall foodservice and beverage offerings, applauded the retailer for its breakfast launch and intentions to explore further menu introductions that are craveable, portable, and unique to the brand.

“For a company their size, they continue to show that they won’t rest on their laurels,” one judge stated. “We all know breakfast is our busiest food time, so innovating that menu is key. Utilizing their homemade dough to make sandwiches, along with adding breakfast bowls, was a great idea.”

PREPARED FOODS INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR: Texas Born

Texas Born earned its award not only for excellence in the chain’s prepared food offering, but also for how it handled a major brand shift. Formerly known as Kwik Chek Food Stores, the Spicewood, Texasbased chain renamed itself Texas Born (TXB), with the first new-build store under the new brand opening in August 2021.

Judges cited how well the company executed its name change and shift in brand positioning as reasons for its win, applauding the retailer for playing off its proud Texan heritage to stake out a distinct identity. In the process, TXB developed a highly unique and proprietary fresh food offering, according to the panel.

CEO Kevin Smartt shared how the rebranding and opening of the first new-build TXB store marked more than just a different logo or name. “This is a true reflection of who we are as a company. We want our guests to have the absolute best experience, whether it’s our fresh foods, versatile ecofriendly packaging, convenient technology, clean environment, or hospitable employees,” he said. “It all reflects the TXB mission to ‘Leave ‘em Better.’”

TXB carefully curated its prepared food offering to reflect its new name, sourcing ingredients and products from local vendors for a truly “Texas born” experience. Its restaurant-quality food items, including freshmade tacos and tenders, are made daily. Customers can watch employees hand-press tortillas inside the stores.

There are also culinary creations not commonly found at c-stores, such as Texas Scorpion Bites made with spicy jalapeños, perfectly fried shrimp tacos, and TXB Habanero Queso.

Texas Born's restaurantquality food items, like tacos and tenders, are made fresh daily.

The “Wawa in Your Community” vehicle rolled out last December.

The retailer also makes a point of catering to families through offers like six-taco bundles or large quantities of chicken, which give it a competitive advantage over quick-service restaurants by providing customers with savings, often turning them into repeat customers.

This is the second time the company has received this award. TXB previously won as Kwik Chek in 2020, illustrating the consistency of its foodservice program.

HOT BEVERAGES INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR: Wawa Inc.

Another method of innovating is changing up how food and beverages reach consumers. Wawa made its hot beverage program more noticeable by literally rolling out a new “Wawa in Your Community” vehicle last December.

Fully equipped to brew and serve as many as 500 cups of hot beverages in a single outing, including coffee and hot chocolate, the vehicle made its debut at Riddle Hospital in the chain’s hometown of Media, Pa., as part of the retailer’s effort to thank local healthcare heroes.

“As a company committed to serving its community, the community care vehicle is another way for Wawa to provide support to national charity partners, at community events, and serve as a resource during times of crisis,” said Liz Simeone, community care and foundation manager at Wawa. “The vehicle will provide The Wawa Foundation and community care team a quick and efficient way to brew coffee offsite from a store location and have a presence at hundreds of community events throughout its operating area.”

Judges lauded Wawa’s community care vehicle as “an innovative way to get one of their signature products to customers” while providing a valuable community service.

“The timing of the rollout was perfect, too,” said one judge.

Wawa is known for its high-quality beverages whose flavors matter as much as their ability to warm someone up on a chilly day. “Their Gold Medal Hot Chocolate is almost as good as what you might find on a San Francisco Hot Chocolate Crawl,” another judge noted.

Wawa was previously named Foodservice Innovator of the Year in 2013 and 2017.

COLD & FROZEN BEVERAGES INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR: Rutter’s

Milkshakes can sometimes end up in the shadow of higher-volume beverage types such as coffee and fountain drinks, but York, Pa.-based Rutter’s made sure no one could overlook its line of Xtreme Shakes. The frozen beverages let customers put a new spin on old favorite treats by combining full-size candy products such as Kit Kat, Reese’s, Almond Joy and York Peppermint Patty with delicious milkshakes. Multiple judges praised the innovation

Rutter's Xtreme Shakes combine full-size candy products with delicious milkshakes.

The foodservice options at Huck’s Market stores span all dayparts to fulfill customers’ mealtime and snack needs.

of the Xtreme Shakes concept, as well as the variety of flavors that keep customers coming back. The retailer’s regular milkshake lineup also offers enticing decadent flavors, such as White Chocolate Raspberry, Dark Chocolate Raspberry, and Chocolate Hazelnut. To keep the offering interesting, Rutter’s occasionally rolls out limited-time seasonal flavors, too, which have received positive consumer response.

The retailer also garnered praise for its Spiked Slushies, which are available in individual cups and different sizes of party bags. The retailer introduced Spiked Slushies to the Pennsylvania market before any other chain, making it the segment leader, which encouraged further innovation. In 2021, Rutter’s began offering limited-time seasonal Spiked Slushies, like Red, Spiked and Blue for Independence Day and Frozen Hot Chocolate in the winter.

“They’ve always been progressive with prepared foods in general, but I think they really lifted their game in cold dispensed beverages with their Spiked Slushies and Xtreme Shakes,” said one judge.

No stranger to the winner’s circle, Rutter’s previously won the Foodservice Innovator of the Year title in 2012, 2018 and 2021, and was named Prepared Foods Innovator of the Year in 2013.

FOODSERVICE INNOVATOR TO WATCH: Huck’s Market

Huck’s Market is being honored with this award in recognition of its status as an up-and-coming leader in convenience foodservice. The Carmi, Ill.-based convenience store chain has been investing considerable resources into enhancing its foodservice offer for some time now.

Huck’s first teamed up with retail services provider GSP in 2019 to shift to a fresh, new look that would also facilitate improved foodservice offerings.

“Today, we’re a gas station that sells food. In the future, we want to be known as a restaurant that sells gas,” a company executive said in 2020, shortly after the chain debuted its food-centric Huck’s Market concept.

Today, Huck’s Market has five focal points it uses to position its brand as the best food option in the markets where it operates:

• Variety — Huck’s utilizes its test kitchen to aggressively pursue new products with the goal of addressing all dayparts, a variety of flavor cravings and healthy eating concerns. • Value — Intelligent buying and effective category management allow the retailer to offer high-quality items at competitive prices. • Quality — It regularly tests new products using current cooking practices so that it can maintain the highest-quality levels possible and also seek to improve. • Consistency — The retailer’s field foodservice leadership team works in-store daily to ensure consistency in operations. • Convenience — The goal is to not only live Huck’s tagline of “Fresh • Fast • Friendly,” but also to be convenient. Where possible, Huck’s offers several third-party delivery platforms.

The foodservice options at Huck’s Market stores span all dayparts to fulfill customers’ mealtime needs, as well as their needs for in-between meal fillers and snacks.

“As they grow, they continue to look at new ways to expand foodservice options,” said one judge. “Adding kitchens to their new stores and giving customers more reason to shop their stores is a big win for them. Great job!” CSN