Rutter’s Attacks Snacking with Hot Foods

Unique grab-n-go pouches allow shoppers to easily take home some of the chain’s popular hot foods.

January 18, 2017

By Pat Pape

YORK, Pa. – On Tuesday, Rutter’s of York, Pennsylvania, launched a hot snack program that allows shoppers to grab and go with some of the chain’s most popular hot foods inside state-of-the-art packaging.

The packaging was created by the same company that introduced bags for grocery store rotisserie chickens. “The ultimate goal was to put ... on-the-go items at the customer's fingertips,” said Ryan Krebs, director of foodservice for Rutter’s. “It’s breathable, microwaveable, resealable, has a handle, is Rutter's-branded and holds heat extremely well.”

Hungry shoppers can choose from 13 sizzling snack items, including chicken wings and tenders, beef short ribs, mozzarella sticks, fried pickles, hash browns and French fries, that stay hot and crisp longer due to packaging material and design.

“Vented holes help retain the quality of the product, unlike a cardboard box, which can get soggy,” Krebs said.

 

Hot snack choices run about $2 each, the same price customers pay when ordering from the Rutter’s kiosk. Cups of dipping sauce (marinara, ranch, buffalo sauce and blue cheese) are available at no additional charge. During product testing, customers snatched up the bags before they officially went on sale, Krebs said.

“We do a huge volume in fried foods and snacking side items,” he said. “Now employees can make multiple snacking items and put 20 or 30 orders in the hot hold at a time. They’ll be able to prepare food in advance and divert some traffic from the kiosk. Not only will this program result in tremendous increased sales, it will provide the snacking options our customers seek without the kiosk wait.”

But the program has the potential to expand beyond snacking.

“The bag could be as large as you want and hold a large quantity of an item, a whole chicken or a take-home meal,” Krebs said. “There is room to offer bigger bulk items. And if we prepare more things in bulk, people will stop by on their way home [from work]. It’s another step in convenience. It’s an easy win for everyone.”

With the addition of the new grab-and-go program, Rutter’s now offers customers a total of 83 different hot-hold items.

 

Pat Pape worked in the convenience store industry for more than 20 years before becoming a full-time writer and communications consultant.

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