Evolving C-Store Daypart sales Will Drive Success

 

Convenience stores (c-stores) have quietly remade themselves over the last five years from fuel-anchored retail lots into multi-daypart foodservice operators according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Rising consumer demand for hot, fresh, grab-and-go options combined with investments in foodservice, beverage bars and made-to-order (MTO) capability have pushed c-stores into direct competition with quick-service restaurants (QSRs) across breakfast, lunch and dinner — while snacks and beverage purchases continue to underpin visit frequency throughout the day. The evidence below pulls together industry data and market studies to summarize how each daypart is evolving and who shops when.

Morning: breakfast and coffee — the anchor of frequency

• Coffee remains a critical foot-traffic driver. C-stores report the highest purchase frequency for hot coffee across foodservice channels; many shoppers buy coffee at least weekly, and coffee drives repeated habit visits. Operators that improve flavor, freshness and convenience capture outsized share of morning trips.

• Breakfast is recovering and growing. Multiple industry studies show breakfast sales growth outpacing other dayparts as more consumers return to commuting and office routines; loyalty programs and targeted morning promotions are cited as effective tactics to convert routine coffee buyers into breakfast purchasers. Prepared breakfast sandwiches, protein bowls and heated bakery items are key growth SKUs.

• Operator implications: invest in temperature/hold systems, regimented speed of service for AM rush, premium single-serve brew options and cross-promotions (coffee + bakery/protein) to lift average ticket and capture weekday habitual trips.

Midday: lunch — made-to-order and protein focus

• Lunch is shifting toward hot, protein-forward offerings. Research and platform data show consumers ordering hot, protein-focused grab-and-go meals from c-stores at increasing rates; made-to-order sandwich programs, pizza, and hot bowls are converting quick lunch occasions away from some QSRs.

• Volume vs. value tension: Growth in foodservice has in some cases been price-driven rather than volume-driven (foodservice CPI pressures noted), so operators must balance quality and margin while maintaining price parity with QSR alternatives.

• Operator implications: build scalable MTO platforms (simple order flows), spotlight protein choices, and use digital loyalty/order channels to speed lunchtime throughput and reduce perceived friction vs. QSR lines.

Evening: dinner — c-stores as convenient meal destinations

• Dinner traffic is growing where c-stores offer true meal value. Several chains (and market studies) report that prepared foods are turning c-stores into viable dinner options — especially for households seeking convenience, value and shorter wait times than QSR. Chains with stronger commissary and kitchen capabilities (pizza, sandwiches, higher-quality hot foods) report measurable lift.

• Operator implications: positioning matters — dinner success requires higher perceived quality, consistent execution, and bundling (meal combos) that compete on value and speed with local QSRs.

Late night: snacking, cravings and niche audiences

• Late-night visits skew young and mission-driven. Data show a disproportionate share of late-night shoppers are aged roughly 18–30 (students, night-shift workers, late socializers); their spend centers on snacks, beverages, and quick heat-and-go meals. Promotions, extended-hours offers and culturally relevant marketing (music, social content) work well.

• Operator implications: Optimize grab-and-go stacks, leverage lighting and signage for visibility after dark, and maintain staffing/tech that supports fast transactions for small-basket purchases.

All dayparts: the role of snacking visits and complementarity

• Snacking visits are the glue across dayparts. Impulse snack and beverage purchases remain the largest single driver of in-store conversion and margin. Studies consistently show candy, salty snacks and bakery items rank top for impulse purchase — and these items attach to nearly any visit reason (fuel, coffee, meal pickup). That makes snacking assortments and strategic placement crucial to converting high-frequency, low-ticket trips into higher-margin add-ons.

• Cross-daypart synergy: a customer who drops in for morning coffee can be converted later in the day via targeted digital offers to purchase lunch or an evening meal; similarly, fuel trips can be leveraged to promote in-store meal combos that capture more of the visit value.

Who shops when — demographic patterns

• Morning (breakfast & coffee): commuters and older Millennials / Gen X (work commuters) plus urban early-adopters; loyalty members skew slightly older but Gen Z is growing share of single-serve and flavored coffee purchases.
• Lunch: workers without long lunch windows (office and light industrial), time-pressed parents, and younger adults seeking value/protein; MTO appeal is broadening demographic mix.
• Dinner: families and value shoppers in suburbs, plus late commuters; success here correlates with perceived food quality and value.
• Late night: Gen Z and younger Millennials, shift workers, students — snack/drink oriented with occasional meal purchases.

Four Grocerant Guru® insights on mix-and-match meal-component bundling

1.       Design modular bundles, not fixed combos. Offer componentized bundles (pick protein + pick starch + pick side + beverage) with a small, transparent bundling discount. Modularity increases perceived choice while simplifying inventory and allows customers to assemble meals that match dietary preferences—reducing the paradox-of-choice fatigue while increasing attach rate.

2.       Use price architecture to guide, not coerce. Structure tiered pricing (value, premium, premium+). Make the “smart default” the best margin-to-value option (e.g., a mid-tier build that nudges protein + side + coffee). That steers mainstream shoppers toward profitable bundles while leaving premium options available.

3.       Operationalize bundles for speed. Design assembly-line friendly components: standardized protein portions, universal heat-and-hold requirements, and pre-built side racks. Bundles must be executable in the same window as single-item purchases to avoid lunch-rush friction. Invest in clear POS prompts and staff micro-training so bundles flow rather than clog.

4.       Personalize bundling through data. Use LMS/loyalty and transaction data to suggest prebuilt bundles by segment and daypart (e.g., “morning commuter protein + large coffee” vs. “late-night snack pack for students”). Dynamic offers delivered at point of sale or via app increase conversion and lift basket size without expanding shelf space.

 

Think About This

• Prioritize coffee quality and morning speed; convert coffee buyers into breakfast purchasers.
• Scale simple MTO systems for lunch and dinner with protein focus and digital ordering.
• Treat late night as a distinct P&L segment — optimize for young, snack-first shoppers.
• Use modular bundling, POS guidance and loyalty data to raise take-rate across dayparts.

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

Grocerant Guru Perspective: Stop Paying for Shelf Space—Start Selling What Consumers Actually Want

 

From the Grocerant Guru’s vantage point, PepsiCo’s December announcement is less about activist pressure and more about an overdue market correction. Reducing prices, eliminating roughly 20 percent of SKUs by early 2026, and refocusing on core brands signals a recognition of a fundamental truth shaping food retail today: paying for shelf space does not build loyalty—delivering relevance, value, and choice clarity does.

For decades, large CPGs competed by flooding shelves. More facings, more line extensions, more marginal SKUs, and more trade spend bought visibility but diluted velocity. The result is what behavioral economists call the paradox of choice—too many options create confusion, slow decision-making, reduce satisfaction, and ultimately suppress sales. Consumers do not want infinite beverage choices; they want the right beverage, at the right price, in the right moment.

PepsiCo’s acknowledgment that years of double-digit price increases weakened demand is critical. Value perception matters more today than brand ubiquity. Shoppers are not rejecting brands; they are rejecting friction—friction at the shelf, friction at the register, and friction in deciding what to buy. Cutting SKUs is not retrenchment; it is strategic focus.

The company’s stated moves—sharper everyday value pricing, innovation around cleaner labels and functional benefits, and aggressive cost reduction—align with what the Grocerant Guru® has long advocated: sell beverages and snacks consumers want, priced competitively, without forcing retailers to subsidize inefficiency through shelf fees and excess assortment.

Importantly, PepsiCo’s shift away from artificial ingredients, toward protein-forward and functionally relevant offerings, is not about chasing trends—it is about restoring trust and usage frequency. Fewer, better products outperform bloated portfolios every time when execution is disciplined.

However, the real opportunity is not simply SKU reduction. The real unlock is how products are merchandised and bundled.

Grocerant Guru® Insight: Mix-and-Match Is the Growth Engine

Within the Grocerant niche, growth does not come from buying more shelf space; it comes from building solutions. Consumers think in occasions, not categories. A beverage is not a standalone decision—it is part of a meal, a snack, a routine, or a reward.

Mix-and-match product building—pairing beverages with fresh food, protein-forward snacks, or permissible indulgences—simplifies choice while increasing basket size. It transforms the shopping experience from selection to solution. This approach creates happier consumers because it reduces cognitive load and delivers value. It creates happier stakeholders because it increases velocity, margin, and loyalty without incremental trade spend.

The future is not more SKUs.
The future is curated choice, competitive pricing, and occasion-based solutions.

PepsiCo’s reset suggests the company is beginning to internalize this reality. Those who stop paying for shelf space and start paying attention to how consumers actually eat and drink will win—at retail, in convenience, and across the entire Grocerant ecosystem.

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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From the Grocerant Guru® Stage, Why 2025 Was the Tipping Point: Convenience Stores Became True Meal Destinations

 

When I stood on stage at the Convenience Store News Exchange in Denver last May, I told this audience something that felt provocative to some and obvious to others: the future of food is not about channels — it is about occasions. Grubhub’s 2025 Delivered Report now validates that assertion with hard data and real consumer behavior.

Let me be clear: 2025 was not simply a good year for c-store foodservice. It was the year convenience stores crossed the psychological threshold from “emergency food” to intentional meal destination. That shift did not happen by accident. It happened because the industry leaned directly into what I have defined for years as the Grocerant niche — fresh food, prepared on demand or ready-to-eat, optimized for speed, value, and relevance.

Protein, Heat, and Handhelds Win the Occasion

Grubhub’s data shows that consumers moved decisively away from passive snack items and toward hot, protein-forward, grab-and-go foods — taquitos, chicken rollers, and hot dogs leading the charge. That mirrors exactly what I highlighted in Denver: consumers are no longer “snacking up,” they are mealing down — replacing traditional QSR visits with faster, closer, more controllable solutions.

In 2024, bananas and sodas still ranked among top c-store delivery items. By 2025, the consumer sent a clear signal: bring me heat, bring me protein, bring me immediacy. Convenience, as Grubhub accurately stated, “got strategic.” What that really means is that c-stores stopped imitating restaurants and instead outperformed them on friction, speed, and price-value perception.

At CSN Exchange, I cited the rise of handheld protein platforms as the most scalable foodservice opportunity in the channel — rollers, wraps, breakfast sandwiches, tacos, and global street-food formats that travel well, eat cleanly, and satisfy quickly. Grubhub’s order data confirms that thesis at scale.

Made-to-Order Is No Longer Optional

The statistic that should stop every operator in their tracks: 85% of consumers have tried made-to-order food from a convenience store. That is not trial; that is adoption.

Retailers that understood this earlier — Casey’s, 7-Eleven, Weigel’s — did not treat foodservice as an add-on. They treated it as infrastructure. I referenced this exact evolution in Denver when discussing commissary-enabled consistency, noting that Weigel’s investment in a centralized commissary was not a cost center but a growth engine. Casey’s continued strength in prepared food and dispensed beverages further proves that when execution improves, velocity follows.

7-Eleven’s commitment to a food-forward design in its 1,300 new U.S. stores underscores what I said on stage: the box must now be designed around food, not fuel. Fuel brings traffic. Food builds loyalty.

Foodmaxxing: Function Meets Flavor Meets Shareability

Grubhub’s concept of “foodmaxxing” aligns directly with what I described in Denver as functional indulgence — food that satisfies hunger, supports wellness goals, and looks good enough to share socially.

The surge in gut-healthy bean salads, a 135% increase in grocery bean orders, and the proliferation of protein-labeled items in unexpected categories all point to a consumer who is no longer choosing between health and convenience. They expect both. Protein cookies, popcorn, cinnamon rolls — these are not fads; they are signals of permission. Consumers are telling retailers: solve more needs in one stop.

Beverage behavior reinforces this shift. Cold foam growth of 75%, matcha up 34%, and tens of thousands of electrolyte drinks delivered monthly all speak to liquid functionality — beverages as tools, not treats. This is exactly why I told the Denver audience that beverage programs must evolve from fountain-centric to purpose-driven platforms.

2026 Insight: Fresh Food Fast Is the Only Path Forward

Looking ahead to 2026, the path is clear. The winners will not be the stores with the biggest menus, but the ones with the clearest food identity.

Three forward-looking realities every operator should internalize:

1.       Fresh Food Fast Will Define Competitive Advantage
Speed alone is no longer enough. Freshness must be visible, credible, and consistent. Consumers now equate freshness with trust — and trust with repeat visits.

2.       Protein Will Remain the Anchor, Not the Accent
Whether animal-based or plant-forward, protein is the currency of modern meals. The most successful c-stores will build modular platforms that allow protein to flex across dayparts and cuisines.

3.       Delivery Data Will Shape Store Design
Platforms like Grubhub are not just distribution channels; they are insight engines. The data clearly shows which items travel, which satisfy, and which convert. Smart operators will design menus — and kitchens — backward from that reality.

The takeaway is simple but profound: convenience stores did not steal share from restaurants by becoming better restaurants. They won by becoming better grocerants — places where fresh food, prepared food, and immediate consumption converge.

2025 was the proof year.
2026 will be the execution year.

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

DoorDash’s Zesty Is Not a Detour—It’s the Next Logical Step Toward the Grocerant Future

 

For more than a decade, DoorDash has demonstrated a rare ability to listen to consumers, interpret behavioral shifts, and operationalize them at scale. What began as a last-mile logistics solution for restaurants has evolved into one of the most influential food-access platforms in North America. The introduction of Zesty, DoorDash’s AI-powered restaurant discovery app, should be viewed not as an experiment on the fringe, but as another deliberate step toward the Grocerant niche—the convergence of foodservice, retail, experience, and digital convenience that I have identified, defined, quantified, and qualified for years.

DoorDash’s Evolution: Each Step Closer to the Grocerant Model

Phase One: Access and Convenience
DoorDash’s early growth was fueled by a simple but powerful insight: consumers value frictionless access to prepared food. By solving the logistics problem for independent restaurants and chains alike, DoorDash expanded meal choice without requiring new real estate. This mirrored an early Grocerant principle—food available where and when the consumer wants it, without traditional constraints.

Phase Two: Assortment and Ecosystem Expansion
As DoorDash added grocery, convenience, alcohol, and retail categories, it moved beyond “delivery” and into curated food access. Industry data consistently shows that households increasingly mix and match meals—restaurant food, ready-to-eat grocery items, and heat-and-serve solutions—within the same week, and often the same day. DoorDash recognized that consumers do not think in channels; they think in occasions. This is foundational Grocerant thinking.

Phase Three: Discovery and Decision Support
Zesty represents a pivotal shift from transaction-first to experience-first engagement. By aggregating signals from Google Maps, TikTok, Reddit, Eater, and its own data, DoorDash is acknowledging a critical food industry truth: discovery now precedes demand. Consumers—especially younger cohorts—decide where and why to eat before deciding how to transact.

Zesty’s “build your going out vibe” prompt language is particularly telling. It reframes dining as a social and emotional experience, not just a menu search. This aligns squarely with Grocerant dynamics, where food competes with entertainment, social connection, and lifestyle expression.

 Zesty Matters Strategically

Separating Zesty from the core DoorDash app is a smart brand architecture decision. The DoorDash app is optimized for speed, efficiency, and fulfillment. Zesty is optimized for inspiration, social validation, and exploration. Together, they create a full-funnel ecosystem:

·       Inspire (Zesty)

·       Decide (AI-curated recommendations and peer content)

·       Transact (DoorDash core platform)

This mirrors the Grocerant model seen in leading global retailers and foodservice innovators, where discovery, engagement, and fulfillment are distinct but interconnected functions.

Notably, DoorDash’s decision not to prioritize DoorDash-partnered restaurants reinforces credibility and trust—two currencies increasingly critical in AI-driven recommendation environments. The platform is positioning itself as a neutral discovery layer, which enhances long-term consumer loyalty and platform relevance.

Zesty as a Grocerant Catalyst

Zesty is not just about “going out.” It is about blurring boundaries—between digital and physical, between social media and commerce, between food as fuel and food as experience. That is the Grocerant sweet spot.

DoorDash is effectively saying: We don’t just deliver meals; we help you decide how food fits into your life.

That is a powerful, future-proof position.

 

Ideations from the Grocerant Guru®

1.       Occasion-Based Food Pathways
Move beyond restaurant recommendations and curate full “food occasions” that blend dine-out, pickup, and ready-at-home components. For example: Date Night Pathway—restaurant discovery, dessert delivery, and next-morning brunch suggestions, all informed by behavior and context.

2.       Dynamic Micro-Merchants and Pop-Up Discovery
Use Zesty to surface time-bound food experiences—ghost kitchens, pop-ups, limited-time chef residencies, and retailer foodservice hybrids. This would give DoorDash first-mover advantage in monetizing culinary scarcity and local relevance.

3.       AI-Personalized Food Identity Scores
Develop a consumer-facing “food identity” profile based on exploration, social engagement, and purchase behavior. This would allow Zesty to evolve from recommendation engine to personal food concierge, a defining capability within the Grocerant ecosystem.

 

Think About This:

Zesty is not a side project—it is a signal. DoorDash is steadily, intelligently moving toward the Grocerant future, where food discovery, experience, and access converge. Companies that win in this space will not ask, “Delivery or dine-in?” They will ask, “How does food fit this moment?” DoorDash is increasingly asking—and answering—the right question.

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