2017 c-store and retail census: At your service

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