Casey’s Proves Once Again That Consumers Buy Meals, Not Channels

 

For more than two decades, I have consistently stated that consumers do not think in retail channels—they think in meals, mini-meals, snacks, solutions, convenience, value, and occasions. Long before most industry analysts recognized Casey's General Stores as a serious foodservice competitor, the Grocerant Guru® was identifying, quantifying, and qualifying the company's remarkable success in fresh prepared foods and, specifically, pizza.

Today, the rest of the food industry is finally catching up.

Casey's, the Iowa-based retailer founded in 1968, now operates nearly 2,900 locations across 19 states and proudly claims its position as the fifth-largest pizza chain in America. That claim is no longer surprising. What is surprising is how long it took much of the legacy food industry press to recognize what was happening right in front of them.

For years, traditional industry media segmented foodservice into neat little boxes: convenience stores, quick-service restaurants, grocery service delis, club stores, supermarkets, and fast-food outlets. Unfortunately, consumers never received that memo.

Consumers don't wake up and say, "I'm going to buy lunch from a convenience store today." They ask, "What's for lunch?" They seek value, convenience, portability, quality, taste, and speed. The channel is irrelevant.

The ongoing discussion about "channel blurring" is itself evidence that too many analysts remain trapped in outdated retail thinking. Channel blurring exists only in the mind's eye of retail Neanderthals and channel-protecting demagogues who continue to view food retailing through a 1980s lens. Consumers don't blur channels because consumers never recognized those boundaries in the first place.

What Casey's understood decades ago is what many restaurant operators are only now beginning to grasp: foodservice drives traffic, loyalty, frequency, and profitability. Pizza wasn't an add-on category for Casey's—it became a destination category.

The company's pizza journey began in 1984 and accelerated through continuous innovation, including breakfast pizza, taco pizza, thin-crust offerings, and gluten-free options. More importantly, Casey's understood that consumers wanted food where they already were, not where industry executives thought they should go.

That strategy is paying dividends. Casey's generated approximately $1.5 billion in pizza sales in 2024, growing more than 10% year-over-year. While many traditional pizza chains find themselves locked in relentless discounting battles, Casey's has leveraged its broader business model to create a competitive advantage.

Its large pizzas often undercut national competitors by several dollars. Its highly successful slice program captures immediate-consumption occasions that many national pizza chains largely ignore. In fact, individual slices reportedly account for about half of pizza sales, creating incremental traffic opportunities throughout the day.

Even more significant is Casey's dominance in smaller communities. Roughly 71% of stores are located in towns with fewer than 20,000 residents. In many of these markets, Casey's serves as the local restaurant, grocery supplement, fuel station, and community gathering place all at once.

That is not channel blurring.

That is consumer relevance.

Meanwhile, traditional pizza operators continue to face mounting pressure from every direction. Third-party delivery has erased historical convenience advantages. Consumers now have unprecedented access to restaurant meals, grocery prepared foods, warehouse club food courts, convenience-store foodservice, meal kits, and delivery-only concepts.

The competitive set is no longer pizza chain versus pizza chain.

The competitive set is every food option available to satisfy a meal occasion.

Recent research showing that convenience stores increasingly capture visits that might otherwise have gone to quick-service restaurants only reinforces what the Grocerant Guru® has documented for years: consumers cross-shop food solutions, not retail channels.

Casey's success story is not really about pizza.

It is about understanding that today's consumer purchases meals and mini-meals based on value, convenience, quality, portability, and trust. The retailer that best fulfills those needs wins the transaction regardless of whether the sign outside says convenience store, supermarket, restaurant, club store, or fuel center.

As the Grocerant Guru® has said repeatedly, the future belongs to operators that focus on meal solutions rather than channel definitions.

Casey's simply figured that out before most of the industry as did our Grocerant Guru®.

Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideas look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how our Grocerant Guru® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit: us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

Dunkin’ Scores a Hole-in-One with Interactive Food Marketing, Golf Culture, and Gen Z Engagement

 

The foodservice industry's newest battleground isn't just about what consumers eat or drink—it's about how brands invite consumers to participate, engage, share, and become part of the experience according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® based in Tacoma, WA at Foodservice Solutions®.

This week, Dunkin’ demonstrates exactly how modern food marketing is evolving as it launches a multi-layered golf-themed campaign that blends limited-time beverages, collectible merchandise, loyalty rewards, social media engagement, celebrity partnerships, and immersive retail experiences.

From the perspective of the Grocerant Guru®, this is not simply a product launch. It is a masterclass in interactive participatory food marketing.

As one of golf's biggest championship weeks unfolds, Dunkin’ is leveraging the growing popularity of golf among younger consumers while creating multiple touchpoints that encourage customers to interact with the brand both on and off the course.

Rather than relying solely on traditional advertising, Dunkin’ is inviting customers to become active participants in the experience.

The centerpiece of the campaign includes two limited-time golf-inspired beverages:

• Peach "Tee" Dunkin’ Zero, a peach-flavored iced tea energy drink.

• Raspberry "Tee" Lemonade, combining lemonade, iced black tea, and raspberry flavor.

These drinks are more than menu additions—they are conversation starters designed to connect with golf culture while creating social media-worthy moments.

Dunkin’ takes participation even further with its unique MUNCHKINS® Golf Ball Sleeve, pairing donut hole treats with a custom TaylorMade SpeedSoft golf ball. The promotion cleverly blurs the line between foodservice, sports, collectibles, and lifestyle branding.

Today's consumers—particularly younger consumers—are increasingly attracted to experiences that feel personalized, exclusive, and shareable. Dunkin’ recognizes that reality.

The company is also partnering with two-time major champion John Daly, one of golf's most recognizable and entertaining personalities. Daly's larger-than-life persona aligns perfectly with Dunkin's approachable and fun brand identity, creating authentic content opportunities that resonate across social platforms.

But perhaps the most important aspect of this campaign is how many participation points it creates for consumers.

Customers can:

• Try limited-time beverages.

• Collect golf-themed products.

• Earn bonus loyalty rewards.

• Engage with social media content.

• Purchase exclusive co-branded merchandise.

• Visit experiential retail locations.

• Share their experiences online.

That level of engagement transforms customers from buyers into brand advocates.

The exclusive Dunkin’ and TaylorMade merchandise collaboration further extends the brand beyond foodservice. Golf bags, apparel, hats, accessories, and collectibles allow consumers to physically display their relationship with the brand long after a cup of coffee has been consumed.

This strategy mirrors a growing trend the Grocerant Guru® has been tracking for years: consumers increasingly seek brands that fit seamlessly into their lifestyles, hobbies, and passions.

Dunkin’ also understands the growing influence of younger golfers.

Golf participation among Millennials and Gen Z consumers continues to expand, fueled by social media, golf entertainment venues, and a more casual, inclusive image of the sport. By aligning with golf culture in a playful, approachable manner, Dunkin’ positions itself to connect with emerging generations of consumers who value experiences as much as products.

The company's transformation of its Westhampton Beach location into a golf-themed destination featuring a putting green, photo opportunities, and golf-inspired décor further demonstrates the power of experiential retail. Consumers no longer simply visit stores—they visit destinations that create memories and generate content worth sharing.

The loyalty component may be the smartest move of all.

By offering FORE-X (4X) rewards points and additional bonus opportunities through its app and drive-thru channels, Dunkin’ strengthens customer engagement while encouraging digital ordering behavior and repeat visits.

From the Grocerant Guru® perspective, Dunkin’ is proving that successful foodservice marketing today requires much more than advertising. It requires creating ecosystems of participation where products, technology, entertainment, sports, loyalty programs, and social engagement work together to drive consumer excitement.

Golf may be the theme, but engagement is the real product.

Three Reasons the Grocerant Guru® Believes This Campaign Will Drive Success

1.       It Creates Active Participation
Consumers are no longer passive recipients of marketing. Dunkin’ gives customers multiple ways to interact with the brand, increasing emotional connection and loyalty.

2.       It Connects with Younger Consumers Through Lifestyle Marketing
Rather than selling coffee alone, Dunkin’ is connecting with passions, hobbies, experiences, and social sharing opportunities that resonate strongly with Millennials and Gen Z consumers.

3.       It Extends Brand Reach Beyond the Restaurant
Through merchandise, golf partnerships, experiential retail, loyalty rewards, and social media content, Dunkin’ remains visible long after the beverage purchase, creating greater brand relevance and consumer engagement.

Tap into the Foodservice Solutions® team for greater understanding of New Electricity or for a Grocerant Program Assessment, Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®.  Since 1991 www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869

World Central Kitchen Scores a Global Win by Connecting Food, Community, and the World Cup

 

Food has always been more than fuel. Food creates community, builds relationships, and provides comfort during life's most challenging moments according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Likewise, sports unite people across cultures, languages, and borders. This summer, World Central Kitchen (WCK) is bringing those two powerful forces together through an innovative series of World Cup activations designed to raise awareness, inspire volunteerism, and support its mission of feeding people in need around the world.

Founded in 2010 by renowned chef and humanitarian José Andrés, World Central Kitchen has evolved into one of the most respected nonprofit food relief organizations in the world. What began as a response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti has grown into a global network capable of mobilizing within hours after natural disasters, humanitarian crises, and conflicts.

Today, WCK operates with a simple but powerful belief: when disaster strikes, the first thing people need is a hot meal.

The organization's latest initiative, "Food Is Life," marks its first major sports-focused fan engagement campaign, launched during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The campaign debuted in Los Angeles with a World Cup Watch Party on the iconic Santa Monica Pier.

Partnering with celebrated restaurateurs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, founders of Border Grill, World Central Kitchen distributed complimentary snacks to fans while sharing information about its global humanitarian efforts. Guests enjoyed sustainably sourced sablefish tostadas topped with avocado, lime, and aioli, made possible through a donation of 300 pounds of fish from sustainable seafood supplier Seremoni.

The event represents far more than a food giveaway. It highlights how food can bring communities together while shining a spotlight on the millions of people worldwide who rely on emergency food assistance.

Throughout the six-week World Cup tournament, WCK plans additional activations utilizing its fleet of food trucks near stadiums, fan zones, and soccer-related events in multiple cities. These efforts are designed to introduce new audiences to the organization's mission while encouraging community involvement and volunteer participation.

José Andrés captured the spirit of the initiative perfectly:

"Food has the power to bring people together around longer tables, while sports have the power to unite entire nations."

That philosophy has defined World Central Kitchen since its inception.

Unlike many disaster-relief organizations that focus solely on logistics, WCK emphasizes speed, local partnerships, and community engagement. The organization frequently works alongside local restaurants, chefs, foodservice operators, and volunteers, helping support local economies while delivering fresh meals to those in need.

Over the past decade, World Central Kitchen has responded to hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, floods, wars, refugee crises, and public health emergencies across six continents. Their teams have provided millions of meals following events ranging from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and wildfires in California to the war in Ukraine and ongoing humanitarian challenges throughout the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Recent efforts illustrate the scale of WCK's impact:

·       More than 10 million meals served in Haiti over the past year amid ongoing instability and displacement.

·       More than 2 million meals distributed in Lebanon following escalating regional conflict.

·       Continued operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo supporting communities facing public health and humanitarian emergencies.

·       Rapid-response feeding programs supporting disaster victims across North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

What makes World Central Kitchen unique is its ability to move quickly. Rather than building large bureaucratic systems, the organization relies on local cooks, local restaurants, local suppliers, and local volunteers to deliver immediate assistance where it is needed most.

For restaurant operators, food retailers, convenience stores, distributors, manufacturers, and foodservice professionals, WCK demonstrates the extraordinary role our industry can play beyond commercial success. It showcases how culinary expertise, supply chains, and hospitality can become powerful tools for humanitarian relief.

At a time when consumers increasingly seek brands and organizations that demonstrate purpose, World Central Kitchen stands as an example of how food can create meaningful social impact.

The World Cup campaign serves as a reminder that while fans may support different teams on the field, everyone can be part of the same team when it comes to feeding people in need.

As the Grocerant Guru®, I believe World Central Kitchen represents the very best of what the food industry can accomplish when compassion, logistics, and community come together.

Three Reasons Everyone Who Can Should Support World Central Kitchen

1. They Deliver Immediate Results

World Central Kitchen is often among the first organizations to arrive after a disaster and frequently remains long after media attention has moved on. Their ability to provide fresh meals quickly helps stabilize communities during their most vulnerable moments.

2. They Support Local Communities

Rather than importing large-scale feeding systems, WCK works with local restaurants, suppliers, farmers, and volunteers whenever possible, helping local economies recover while feeding those in need.

3. They Demonstrate the Positive Power of Food

Food is one of humanity's most universal languages. World Central Kitchen proves every day that a simple meal can provide comfort, dignity, hope, and a pathway toward recovery for people facing extraordinary challenges.

The Grocerant Guru® believes that when food brings people together, everybody wins.

Mini Meals, Maximum Migration: Why Small Plates and Small Prices Are Rewiring Restaurant Success

 

The restaurant industry is in the middle of a quiet but profound reset. Consumers are no longer simply chasing “more food.” They are chasing more control, more flavor variety, more affordability, and more flexibility. That shift is fueling one of the most important menu transformations of 2024, 2025, and now 2026: the rise of Mini Meals, small plates, shareables, bites, and snackable dining occasions according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Consumers today are migrating toward restaurants and foodservice brands that understand one core reality: smaller meals at smaller prices drive frequency.

The old restaurant model was built around the center-of-the-plate entrée. The new model is increasingly built around multiple smaller flavor-forward experiences that consumers can mix, match, share, and personalize.

That is not just a menu trend. It is a consumer behavior revolution.

According to Technomic, “appetizers” now appear on 94% of restaurant menus, but operators are increasingly replacing the term with names like “small plates,” “shareables,” “starters,” and “bites.” Wings remain the most popular appetizer order at 16.8%, followed by cheese sticks and fried cheese appetizers at 15.3%.

What matters more than terminology, however, is why consumers are gravitating toward these offerings.

Three powerful forces are converging simultaneously:

·       Consumers want affordability.

·       Consumers want portion control.

·       Consumers want culinary adventure.

That trifecta is reshaping restaurant economics.

GLP-1 Drugs Are Accelerating Portion Disruption

The growth of GLP-1 weight-loss medications including Ozempic and Wegovy is fundamentally altering food consumption behavior across the United States.

Morgan Stanley research projected that GLP-1 adoption could materially reduce calorie consumption nationwide by the late 2020s. Restaurants are already responding. Consumers using these medications are ordering fewer full entrées, sharing meals more frequently, and increasingly choosing appetizer-centric dining.

But the shift is broader than GLP-1 users alone.

Inflation fatigue has consumers trading down from $22 entrées to combinations of smaller menu items that feel affordable while still delivering variety and satisfaction. Consumers are increasingly saying:

“I would rather have three interesting $8 items than one predictable $28 entrée.”

That behavioral change is especially pronounced among younger consumers.

Gen Z and Millennials Want Discovery, Not Just Dinner

Younger consumers increasingly view dining as an experience platform rather than simply a hunger solution. Small plates create social engagement, trial opportunities, and menu exploration without financial risk.

That is why chains leaning into globally inspired appetizers are outperforming those relying solely on legacy comfort-food entrées.

At Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, CEO Chris Simms noted that consumers are actively seeking affordability, smaller portions, and more variety. The company responded by dramatically expanding its small plates lineup with globally inspired offerings including Korean Fried Chicken Bao Buns, Chili Garlic Cucumbers, and Tikka Masala Meatballs.

These items accomplish several strategic objectives simultaneously:

·       Lower price points

·       Higher perceived culinary value

·       Increased trial

·       Increased beverage attachment

·       Increased visit frequency

That is a winning equation in 2026.

Flavor exploration has become one of the largest drivers of restaurant relevance. Consumers no longer need a passport to experience Korean, Indian, Brazilian, or Mediterranean flavors. They simply order two or three small plates.

The appetizer section has become the restaurant industry’s innovation laboratory.

Restaurants Are Borrowing From C-Stores and Grocerants

For years, the Grocerant Guru® has said that the future of food is “mix-and-match meal component marketing.”

Today’s winning operators understand that consumers increasingly build meals the same way they build streaming playlists: customized, flexible, and experience-driven.

Convenience stores learned this early.

Chains like 7-Eleven, Casey's, and Wawa succeeded by offering snackable, portable, lower-price food options that encouraged multiple daily purchase occasions.

Now casual dining is adopting similar behavioral mechanics.

At North Italia, guests are encouraged to order multiple small plates, pizzas, focaccia, salads, and pastas for sharing. Importantly, the restaurant’s 12-inch pizzas are intentionally positioned as starter-shareables rather than strictly entrées.

That repositioning matters.

Consumers perceive greater value when food is shareable and customizable. A table ordering four or five smaller items feels abundance without the psychological shock of four expensive entrées.

The result:

·       Higher guest satisfaction

·       Higher perceived value

·       Higher beverage sales

·       Higher social engagement

·       Higher frequency

Happy Hour Is Becoming a Traffic Engine Again

The resurgence of appetizer-focused dining is also reigniting Happy Hour.

For years, many restaurant chains de-emphasized bar food innovation. That was a mistake.

Today’s consumers increasingly seek “micro occasions”:

·       After-work bites

·       Pre-event snacks

·       Late-afternoon social dining

·       Mini indulgences

·       Affordable group outings

That plays directly into appetizer-driven menus.

At Fogo de Chão, the Bar Fogo concept offers Brazilian-inspired small plates and cocktails priced between $6 and $10. These smaller purchases reduce consumer hesitation while increasing traffic opportunities throughout the day.

The restaurant industry is rediscovering a critical truth:
Consumers may not purchase a $65 dinner twice a week, but they may absolutely purchase two $9 bites and a cocktail multiple times weekly.

Frequency beats ticket size over time.

Seafood Towers, Snack Boards, and Shareables Signal “Affordable Luxury”

Even upscale casual chains are leaning heavily into shareable formats.

At Legal Sea Foods, the new Starter Sampler Tower gives groups of four to six consumers a premium-feeling experience at roughly $10 per person.

Consumers increasingly crave affordable luxury rather than traditional luxury.

That distinction is critical.

Shareable samplers, charcuterie boards, seafood towers, and globally inspired snack flights allow consumers to feel indulgent without committing to premium entrée pricing.

In many ways, the modern appetizer category has become the new center of the plate.

Why Small Meals Are Winning in 2026

Several broader macroeconomic realities are fueling the Mini Meal movement:

1. Inflation Has Permanently Changed Value Perception

Consumers remain cautious even as inflation moderates. Smaller purchases feel safer psychologically.

2. Consumers Snack More Frequently

Circana research continues to show that consumers increasingly replace traditional meals with multiple snacking occasions throughout the day.

3. Households Are Smaller

Single-person and two-person households now dominate U.S. household composition. Smaller households naturally align with flexible smaller-portioned dining.

4. Consumers Want Variety

One entrée limits exploration. Three small plates create engagement and entertainment.

5. Beverage Attachment Rates Increase

Appetizers and small plates often drive incremental alcohol and specialty beverage purchases.

That combination creates a compelling profitability model for operators.

The Grocerant Guru® Perspective

Restaurants that continue focusing primarily on oversized entrées and high-ticket dining are increasingly misaligned with modern consumer behavior.

Consumers today want:

·       Flexibility

·       Exploration

·       Affordability

·       Portion control

·       Social dining

·       Incremental indulgence

Mini Meals deliver all six.

The smartest operators are not merely shrinking portions. They are redesigning the dining experience around frequency, discovery, and affordability.

That is where customer migration is headed.

And the brands that master small meals with big flavor will own disproportionate traffic growth in the years ahead.

Three Insights From The Grocerant Guru®

1.       Small price points reduce consumer resistance and increase visit frequency.
Consumers who hesitate at a $28 entrée often willingly purchase two $8-$10 items multiple times per month.

2.       The appetizer category is now the restaurant industry’s innovation engine.
Global flavors, limited-time offers, and culinary experimentation increasingly begin in small plates because consumers perceive less financial risk.

3.       The future of foodservice belongs to customizable mix-and-match dining.
Consumers increasingly want meals built around flexibility, portability, sharing, and personalized experiences rather than traditional entrée structures.

Let’s Build a Partnership for Growth

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Explore innovative food marketing and business development strategies with Foodservice Solutions®.

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