In the past, FoodService Director has surveyed our readers about what their diners are eating, from local, organic foods to custom-made bowls and salads. But we were also curious about where diners get their meals beyond a traditional dining hall. We surveyed 128 operators for our first-ever c-store and retail survey, which takes a dive into those secondary locations.
About our respondents
In what kind of operation are you located?
What’s now, and what’s next?
Coffee is still keeping adult diners running—55% of B&I operators, 79% of colleges and universities and 50% of hospitals who responded say they’re running an on-site coffee shop or kiosk. C-stores are huge among C&U operators as well, with 58% of operators running one on-site.
Which of the following foodservice locations do you operate?
31%—Coffee shop or kiosk
26%—Limited-service restaurant
25%—Vending machines
13%—Convenience store
12%—Full-service restaurant
9%—Food cart
7%—Micromarket
Which of the following do you expect to open in the next two years?
18%—Coffee shop or kiosk
12%—Food cart
9%—Limited-service restaurant
9%—Vending machines
8%—Micromarket
7%—Convenience store
3%—Full-service restaurant
36%—More than one-third of B&I respondents say they plan to add a coffee shop or kiosk in the next two years.
Business breakdown
What role do secondary retail locations play in the life of an operation? These mini profiles reveal how operators fit a variety of options into their facilities.
Convenience store
13% items made from scratch
Location: 65% in a new or separate building; 53% in a revamped space in an existing building; 6% in a formerly unused space in an existing building
Dayparts served: Lunch: 88%; breakfast: 82%; dinner: 76%; late-night: 59%; snack: 47%;
24-hour: 12%
Most common beverages offered: Energy drinks, fruit and vegetable juice, regular coffee
How they’re staffed: The vast majority of operations surveyed (88%) had a dedicated staff; 12% used staff from other foodservice locations
Micromarket
30% items made from scratch
Location: 44% in a new or separate building; 44% in a revamped space within an existing building; 11% in an unused space in an existing building
Dayparts served: Breakfast: 100%; lunch: 89%; snack: 67%; dinner: 33%; late-night: 33%; 24-hour: 22%
Most common beverages offered: Specialty coffee, energy drinks, fruit juice
How they’re staffed: Nearly one-quarter (22%) were unstaffed, while 67% used a dedicated staff and 11% employed staff from other foodservice locations
Limited-service restaurant
61% items made from scratch
Location: 52% in a revamped space within an existing building; 30% in a new or separate building; 21% in an unused space in an existing building
Dayparts served: Lunch: 88%; breakfast: 70%; dinner: 64%; snack: 42%, late-night: 27%;
Most common beverages offered: Fruit juice, regular coffee, vegetable juice
How they’re staffed: Nearly all operations (91%) used a dedicated staff
Full-service restaurant
82% items made from scratch
Location: 47% in a new or separate building; 33% in a revamped space within an existing building; 20% in an unused space in an existing building
Dayparts served: Lunch: 93%; dinner: 67%; breakfast: 60%; snack: 27%; late-night: 20%
Most common beverages offered: Regular coffee, fruit juice, specialty coffee
How they’re staffed: All operations had a dedicated staff for their full-service restaurants
Coffee shop or kiosk
47% items made from scratch
Location: 45% in a new or separate building; 42% in a revamped space within an existing building; 18% in an unused space in an existing building
Dayparts served: Breakfast: 95%; lunch: 90%; dinner: 50%; snack: 50%; late-night: 18%; 24-hour: 5%
Most common beverages offered: Regular and specialty coffee, fruit juice, smoothies
How they’re staffed: While 75% of locations had a dedicated staff, 10% were unmanned or self-service
Food cart
32% items made from scratch
Location: 55% in a revamped space within an existing building; 36% in an unused space in an existing building; 9% in a new or separate building
Dayparts served: Breakfast: 91%; lunch: 73%; snack: 64%; dinner: 18%
Most common beverages offered: Fruit juice, vegetable juice, smoothies
How they’re staffed: Nearly two-thirds (64%) of locations had a dedicated staff, while 36% used staff from other locations
Vending machines
2% items made from scratch
Location: 53% in a revamped space within an existing building; 38% in an unused space in an existing building; 25% in a new or separate building
Most common beverages offered: Fruit juice, energy drinks, vegetable juice
How they’re staffed: Nearly all vending machines (88%) were self-service