The most download Convenience Matters podcast of 2024, What Makes Gas Station Food Special?, focused on great food found at local c-stores and gas stations. While they are hidden gems to outsiders, these eateries are often at the heart of their small, rural communities and offer affordable meals that rival those from fine-dining restaurants in quality.
On YouTube, Shurden’s Gas Station Tailgate Review has more than 2,100 subscribers who tune in to watch him review the foods he finds and eats from the tailgate of his truck. He’s visited over 200 c-stores and gas stations throughout the South, many in his home state of Mississippi.
“I don't think many people outside of the South really know how good gas station food in the South is,” he said.
Throughout his travels and reviews, Shurden says that he’s gained huge insights into the culture of food, which he applies at his own restaurant in Drew, Mississippi (population 1,700). Two things he’s found valuable are related: keeping it simple and having a specialty.
One example is NFA Burger in Atlanta, which features a simple menu of just six items, four of which are burgers. “All four hamburgers are actually the same hamburger; you can just get a different level of meat on them.” Shurden continues that NFA “picked a lane” it could specialize in. “To me that makes the most sense, especially if you're having trouble with your foodservice or if you're trying to get into hot foodservice,” he said.
Having been to the NACS Show, both as an attendee and a General Session and Education Session speaker, Shurden cited a common thread throughout the c-store industry: diversity and ingenuity. He shared an example of a taqueria in a gas station in Natchez, Mississippi, where the owner bought a gas station because it was easier to get a loan for it than for a restaurant.
“I think that this industry might be the most diverse in ownership of any industry in America. It's not cheap to get a gas station, but there is a level of entry that a lot of people can find,” he said.
He’s also seeing more diverse cuisines in areas that are typically known for crawfish, barbecue and boudin. “In the South, you see the food landscape changing because of gas station food. …I've seen this in Mississippi,” he said.
Shurden is always looking for suggestions on where to visit next. Reach out to him at staffordshurden@gmail.com.