The 2024 NACS Show closing General Session featured two award-winning chefs who are also huge fans of convenience stores: Chefs Andrew Zimmern and David Chang.
Both chefs shared their take on the evolving role of food in convenience stores, which are captured in this week’s episode of Convenience Matters.
The Food Journey
Both chefs spoke about how food intersects with broader societal issues such as immigration, healthcare, and business viability. Zimmern emphasized the importance of recognizing restaurants as both cultural and economic centers, while Chang added that convenience stores serve their communities as places for people to meet and find nourishment, whether for food, beverages, or quick, on-the-go fare.
"And I'd add, you know, chefs, we work in restaurants, but we also work in places that are convenience stores or places where transactions happen. And I like to think of them ... [as] cultural banks, right? This is where information actually exchanges, where you talk to a friend, you bump into something, you find a product that you didn't know was here, then you eat it. You couldn't have a community without these things, and that's why we're in so many areas of culture,” said Chang.
Elevating Convenience Store Food
Andrew Kintigh, corporate chef at Casey’s and moderator for the discussion, asked the chefs how c-stores can continue to serve as destinations for food, especially in the minds of their customers.
“Don’t they already?” Zimmern quipped, adding, “I’ve eaten foods in Japanese convenience stores and gas stations that’s better than the Japanese food that exists in Minneapolis. The growth opportunity is there—people love and know what quality is. As long as you put it in front of them, they’ll respond.”
Zimmern and Chang encouraged convenience retailers to continue pushing boundaries by introducing diverse, high-quality, and fresh ingredients.
Listen for more takeaways from the chefs in the full podcast, “Chefs Andrew Zimmern and David Chang Talk About C-Store Food,” and hear why they believe convenience stores are more than just places for grab a quick bite and a fill-up.