Fill ‘Er Up

Fuel and foodservice present an opportunity for great meals and community connections.

July 30, 2015

NACS Magazine introduced a new column this year, “In Context,” authored by NACS Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Jeff Lenard. Each month, Jeff’s column shares the NACS perspective on some of the “big picture” issues facing our industry, and what NACS is doing to address those issues — both within the industry and to the larger audience of customers and potential customers. Jeff can be reached at jlenard@nacsonline.com or (703) 518-4272.

“Last night I had one of the best meals I’ve ever had,” began a speech I delivered to a group of student community leaders in Durham, North Carolina, recently. Then I really got their attention: “And it was in a gas station.”

I’ve had the opportunity to use that opening at least twice since April, partly because I give a lot of speeches talking about our industry and partly because I have eaten some absolutely remarkable food at convenience stores.

Near Durham, I ate a delicious stuffed pork chop at the Saxapahaw General Store, which sells a variety of convenience and grocery items, in addition to fuels and fantastic food. A few weeks later, I traveled to Kansas City, Kansas, and enjoyed the remarkable Z Man sandwich at Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, tucked inside a Shamrock gas station.

Both storeowners cited the same reasons for running their foodservice program out of a gas station: It’s where the community comes together. The Saxapahaw General Store is in a rural “food desert,” acting as the area’s main source of fuel, groceries and food — and even hosts local concerts. Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que sits on the border of one of the city’s less affluent urban neighborhoods. After serving as one of the community’s few thriving businesses for nearly 20 years, Joe’s recently has been joined by other businesses and the area now has a brighter future.

These two stores neatly summarize our industry’s offer and its heart. And both of these elements are part of our reFresh initiative to provide retailers with the tools they need to improve their business and their community.

Over the years, I’ve compiled a list of more than 100 one-store convenience and fuel operations that serve great food. Al Hebert, known as the “Gas Station Gourmet,” also continues to find stores that serve great food and shares their equally compelling stories about community outreach to this magazine’s readers. Add to that the restaurant quality food sold at your own stores and the list grows to thousands of locations.

Let’s also look at broader trends. Traditionally, the best restaurants in the world have sought out hotels for their locations. After all, hotels provide built-in traffic and convenience for guests. Convenience retailers offer those same benefits, so why shouldn’t the next wave of culinary excellence take place at your store?

I’m not alone in this thinking. Acclaimed chef and television personality Anthony Bourdain said, “Proximity to petroleum products is rarely an impediment to a great meal,” when he named Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que one of his “13 Places to Eat Before You Die.”

Speaking for myself, I expect to have many more great meals at gas stations before that time comes.

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