INTERSTATE FOOD TRENDS: THE RISE OF GOURMET GRAB-N-GO

Featuring: Al Hebert, Gas Station Gourmet

SPONSORED BY

SENSE-ible Ideas
Customers and the Travel Plaza Experience

Customers use all five senses when they experience your store.

SIGHT
First there comes a sign It says Im here It says I have food

It says price per gallon.

Now, how do you get them inside?

5

Lee Hi Travel Exterior Pic

SIGHT

The outside draws us ... (LeeHi Travel Pic)

If nothing else works go out and get them.

SMELL
The human nose never stops growing.

10

SMELL
Smells can evoke memories, emotion and the impulse to purchase. At Rays Quick Stop they begin baking cookies every afternoon at 3:30.

11

Ray Simon says customers smell whats baking and they have to buy it.

12

No Fry Zone
Most women dont care for the smell of fried food.
Ray Simon Rays Quick Stop

13

Restrooms
We all know how this can impact customers. Restroom Tech - Where to Wee

14

Let customers know you care.

15

Place holder Photo Copy machine in Mens Room.

16

Photo:
Lucky Socks & Restrooms.

17

TASTE

18

Petos Truck Stop

Cracklins

Petos cooks 3,000 pounds of cracklins each week. They sell for $13 a pound. $39,000 a week!
19

620 Kolaches Every Hour

Barbara Schillers store sells over 104,000 kolaches every 7 days. Each one is delicious.

20

10

Other stores in town sell the same items that we do. People come here because ours taste better & our service is better.
Barbara Schissler, Czech Stop

21

People Will Pay More

Schisller says people will pay more for freshness and better flavor. Three shifts of bakers work 24/7 to produce the Czechoslovakian pastry. Customers can buy fresh kolaches day or night.

22

11

Hundreds of thousands of taste buds are waiting in line.

Each human being has 10,000 taste buds. Does your food set you apart?

23

FOOD SAVES THE DAY !

24

12

First, a bit of reality

25

26

13

Loss Leader
$3.99 Plate lunch with drink to start I knew we had to get them in. Word of mouth is our most powerful marketing tool. Stephen Bollich, Owner

27

Passion For Food

28

Dynamic Duo

14

Today, totals sales are almost back up tot eh 2003 levels and growing. Food sales drive the inside sales. Stephen Bollich, Owner

29

Lee Hi Travel Plaza Lexington, VA

Longevity of employees brings consistency. It tastes the same every time a customer comes. Bobby Berkstresser, Owner

30

15

TOUCH

31

TOUCH

Customers should not stick to any surface.

32

16

I have two people who clean all day long. Those salaries have paid for themselves two times over. Customers wont tell you they see dirt.
Nathan Winkelman Buccaneer Food Store

33

34

17

HEARING
Like the nose our ears will never stop growing.

35

Sometimes yelling orders like one sees in the movies can be charming.

36

18

HEARING

The toilet in the ladys room

wont flush!!!

37

When People Hear Good Things About You They Will Come

Price Selection Service Quality Experience

FLAVOR

38

19

Customer Surveys Are you listening?

39

Dog Wash

40

20

Bringing in the locals

41

Do they know about you?

42

21

Food Specials Fundraising - High School Athletics Civic Clubs

Senior Citizen Parking

Events

43

Truck Show & Parade

PHOTO: Lexington Truck Parade

44

22

STAFF

You cannot be everywhere. So, you will need to hire other human beings to assist your customers. We call these humans employees.

45

STAFF

Is your staff counter help ?

or

46

23

Sales Associates

47

Texas Best Smokehouse

48

24

Trained Valued Needed Respected

49

A motivated sales force in your store will be customer service-oriented and will help build your customer base and customer loyalty. Especially if...

50

25

25 Years Sonya & Nancy - Mother-Daughter waitresses at Lee Hi Travel Plaza.

51

...they do not whine to customers.

MYTH: Customers love to listen to employees complain.

52

26

VIDEO This really happened

53

The Great Equalizer ...the Internet

Facebook Blogs Website eBlasts Smart Phones

54

27

Is your Website or Facebook Page alive? Change it daily by adding...

Daily Specials

Sales
Contests Giveaways

55

Why arent you working? People are on Facebook throughout the work day.
Bad for their employer. Good for the c-store.

One c-store owner posts photos of leftover cupcakes from lunch.

56

28

7 Cupcakes at the register come pick one up.

57

Capture Your Customers Information

58

29

One owner runs contests for customers each week in his store.

59

CONSTANT CONTESTS

You must enter the store to enter the contests.

$25 Gift Card Each Day FREE GAS FOR A MONTH

60

30

This Of Course Leads To That Customers Information

Email address Cell phone number Birthday Will invites them for a free meal and they dont come alone. Anniversary Again, a free meal, and of course, they dont come alone.

61

WARNING
Its human nature to warn each other about bad things.

62

31

Yelp & Urbanspoon offer customers a chance to rate an experience.

Ordered a burger to go. All the buns had mold on them. Every single bun had mold on it. I will not return ever. How can you make 5 burgers and not sea green mold on each bun on both sides? or I had the gumbo and it's a dark roux and it was delicious! The other review said it was watery, but I found it to be very thick. or I like this place and I've never had not even close to a minor problem :) food is great and so is the service. or This food was terrible in every way. I wouldn't eat there again for free. (Mobile Review)

63

INTERNET REVIEWS

What are people saying about you? Truth or Fiction its being written and everyone can see it. Google yourself and see.

64

32

65

The Box

and those thinking outside of it.

66

33

Channel Blurring

67

Food Furniture Fireworks Snow Cones Red Pickles

68

34

50,000 Frozen Hamburger Patties

January thru July 2013 Population: 30,186
69

Dont be afraid to try something new and watch it fail miserably.

70

35

...it isnt just about the food

1. Fill hour business with people-loving people2. Create your story using signature food3. Appeal to the 5 senses4. Listen to your shoppers5. Innovation: Trust your instincts

71

72

36

73

74

37