This article is brought to you by Cretors.

Foodservice has never been more important to convenience retailers, with prepared food in particular on the rise.

“Getting foodservice right is critical in the convenience space right now,” said Beth Cretors Youdell, marketing communications director at Cretors. “But it’s not easy. There are challenges around labor and food spoilage, for example. Another issue is that retailers may not be thinking about the overall foodservice experience. When you sell food, you are also selling that total experience around that food. What does it smell like, look like, sound like? What’s the experience of actually getting the food in your hands?”

While some convenience retailers are having success with full menus and large kitchen staffs, that’s not the right fit for everyone, Youdell said. “And that’s a big investment. There are a variety of ways retailers can evolve their foodservice and have success.”

She said the company’s self-serve popcorn machine works with a range of foodservice options. “It can be part of a robust foodservice program or it can be an integral part of a smaller operation. Either way, it has four major advantages for convenience retailers,” Youdell said.

1. “Popcorn is an experience. It has a strong, identifiable smell, and customers can actually see and hear it popping. The self-serve aspect takes this to the next level, as customers interact with the machine to fill their popcorn bucket.”
2. “In general, popcorn is a great way to lure customers from the forecourt to the store,” Youdell said. “One option is to offer a small bag of free popcorn with each fill-up.”
3. “Labor is minimal and the self-serve machine removes challenges around labor,” Youdell said. “It transfers labor from your employees to your customers while maximizing impulse sales and savings.”
4. “Popcorn machines take up minimal space as well, which is ideal for fitting in a convenience store where footprints can be limited,” she said.

Youdell also noted that the machine is designed with a customer-controlled conveyor system that dispenses popcorn on the spot. The self-serve feature is excellent for sanitation, too, as it prevents people from putting their hands in the popcorn while serving themselves. The 12 oz. kettle pops 240 one-ounce servings per hour, according to Youdell.

This is part two in a two-part series brought to you by Cretors. Learn more about how the right foodservice equipment can reduce labor in part one.