Convenience stores are, by nature, fast-paced. Customers expect that their needs to be met quickly, and they’re not willing to sacrifice quality or value for the sake of efficiency. This is particularly true when it comes to prepared food options.
Industry experts at the 2018 NACS Show pointed to foodservice sales as a direct contributor to the convenience channel growth,1 and the statistics back the claim. A recent GasBuddy consumer survey reports foodservice dollars amount to about 23% of total convenience store sales — roughly a 3% increase over the last five years.2 Further, 75% of customers feel c-store foodservice has improved during that same time period.2
It’s fair to conclude that the bar has been raised for c-store food quality, and pizza isn’t exempt. If anything, customers may scrutinize pizza more closely than other c-store food offerings simply because they’re more discerning about pizza in general. Technomic’s 2018 Pizza Consumer Trend Report lists taste (56%), high-quality ingredients, and “best crust” (tied at 44%) as the top purchase drivers.3
How can c-stores deliver on all of these pizza expectations with speed, ease, and value? Use high quality par-baked crusts as the foundation of your pies.
Why Par-Baked Crusts?
Today’s par-baked crusts offer “baked bread” properties that make them good fits for c-stores. They also:
- Allow for long hold times in refrigeration and on the shelf as a finished pizza
- Maintain integrity under warming lights
- Are easy to store and handle, with a long shelf life
- Have short final bake times — great for kitchen process efficiency!
- Come in a range of styles, textures, and tastes that offers exceptionally easy prep and versatility in pie styles
- Provide unwavering consistency from pizza to pizza and c-store location to location
Partner With The Pros
Partnering with the Alive & Kickin’ dough experts helps you overcome everyday c-store challenges while fully leveraging the benefits of par-baked pizza crusts. Our products can easily take you from crisp, flaky ultra-thin to a lightly chewy, yeasty New York-style pizza — all without expecting your customers to settle for less than the best.
Explore more benefits of choosing our par-baked pizza crusts for c-stores and more, including premium flavor, easy prep, and long-hold integrity.
SOURCES
1Food Business News, Food service trends at convenience stores, October 15, 2018
2CSP, Are C-Stores Finally Winning the Foodservice Battle?, May 15, 2019
3CSP, How C-Stores Are Upping the Pizza Game, July 10, 2019
