Casey’s & Pepsi: A Classic Restaurant Playbook Move Fueling C-Store Foodservice Growth

For more than five decades, Casey’s General Stores has steadily evolved from a rural convenience outlet into a national powerhouse, one that has long understood what many retailers only recently discovered: fresh food and foodservice are the engines that drive sales growth, brand value, and customer frequency according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®

This latest collaboration with Pepsi—positioning Casey’s handmade pizza alongside an ice-cold Pepsi—demonstrates that Casey’s is now fully embracing the Chain Restaurant Marketing Playbook that helped legacy restaurant brands build national followings.

From the 1980s introduction of made-from-scratch pizza to today’s broad menu of fresh, ready-to-eat staples, Casey’s history mirrors the restaurant sector’s evolution:

·       Fresh food as a differentiator

·       Signature items that create destination-level traffic

·       Co-branding partnerships that elevate flavor, fun, and frequency

·       Marketing campaigns that behave like restaurant media, not traditional c-store ads

Today, Casey’s—now the third-largest convenience store retailer and fifth-largest pizza chain in the country—is leveraging that restaurant-style strategy at scale. And its newest national campaign proves it.

 

Casey’s Joins Pepsi’s ‘Food Deserves Pepsi’ Movement

Casey’s becomes the first convenience retailer to join the nationwide Food Deserves Pepsi platform, a powerful campaign built on the idea that America’s favorite foods just taste better with Pepsi.

A new co-branded advertising spot features a dedicated “Pepsi Chaser,” ensuring that no slice of Casey’s handmade pizza is enjoyed without the bold, refreshing flavor of Pepsi. The creative includes:

·       A 30-second national digital ad

·       A 15-second cutdown

·       Broad distribution across social platforms and fuel pump screens

“Quality is baked into everything we do at Casey’s, and you can taste that in every slice,” said Tom Brennan, chief merchandising officer at Casey’s. “Teaming up with Pepsi is a natural fit—two brands that know great taste, coming together for the perfect hometown combo.”

The Food Deserves Pepsi platform launched in 2024 and has captured national attention through campaigns such as BBQ Crashers, Tailgate Crashers, and Undercover Cups—all reinforcing one simple message: a meal without Pepsi is leaving taste on the table.

 

Fueling the Next Era of C-Store Foodservice

Casey’s adoption of restaurant-style branding, storytelling, and meal pairing shows how convenience stores continue to redefine themselves as meal destinations, not just fuel stops. Pepsi’s partnership only accelerates that shift by tapping into consumer expectations shaped by restaurants:

·       Flavor pairing

·       Branded meal bundles

·       Social-driven marketing

·       Daypart-specific promotions

This is the restaurant playbook—modernized for the C-store era.

Insights From the Grocerant Guru®: The Future of Mix-and-Match Meal Component Bundling

1.       Breakfast Will Become the C-Store Battleground
Mix-and-match bundles—breakfast pizza + energy drink, burrito + coffee, sandwich + juice—will drive morning loyalty, just as QSRs did with combo meals two decades ago.

2.       Lunch and Dinner Bundles Must Mirror Restaurant Behavior
Expect more strategically paired “meal duos” like pizza + Pepsi, sub + chips, wings + fountain drink—engineered for value, flavor, and convenience. C-stores that offer menu-level curation will grow frequency fastest.

3.       Snacking Is the New ‘Fourth Meal’
Snack-driven bundles (pretzel bites + frozen drink, cookies + cold coffee) tap into all-day traffic. As restaurant brands lean into snacking, C-stores must follow with flexible, frictionless mix-and-match formats.

4.       Personalization Will Define the Next Generation of C-Store Meal Solutions
Digital apps and loyalty programs will enable dynamic bundling—letting shoppers create their own component meals across dayparts with personalized pricing. This is where the c-store sector pulls ahead of restaurants.

Success Leaves Clues—Are You Ready to Find Yours?

One key insight that continues to drive success is this: "The consumer is dynamic, not static." This principle is the foundation of our work at Foodservice Solutions®, where Steven Johnson, the Grocerant Guru®, has been helping brands stay relevant in an ever-evolving market.

Want to strengthen your brand’s connection with today’s consumers? Let’s talk. Call 253-759-7869 for more information.

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At Foodservice Solutions®, we specialize in consumer-driven retail food strategies that enhance convenience, differentiation, and individualization—key factors in driving growth.

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