C-Store Foodservice Professionals In High Demand

DALLAS – New foodservice products such as chicken empanadas, mini beef tacos and beer-infused brats may be coming to 7-Eleven stores in the near future, but the Dallas-based c-store chain isn’t alone in the quest for new and innovative menu items.

The Dallas Morning News reported that as c-stores continue to expand their fresh food offers, “they will be seeking a fresh crop of foodies to help them think and act more like restaurateurs.” In fact, many are chosen from a talent pool that typically applies to restaurant chains.

“I think historically, people that were in foodservice stayed in foodservice and people who were in retail stayed in retail. But the lines are very blurred these days,” Kelly Buckley, vice-president of fresh foods innovation for 7-Eleven, told the newspaper, adding, “Everybody’s playing in everybody else’s area now. I don’t think there are classical silos in place any longer.”

According to the National Restaurant Association, the U.S. foodservice industry will add 1.3 million new jobs in the next 10 years, which includes convenience stores.

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