Foodservice is nearly 39% of c-store in-store gross profit as operators chase lunch traffic

Foodservice now accounts for almost 39 percent of in-store gross profit at convenience stores, and nearly 29 percent of shoppers who stop to fuel up or grab a packaged drink plan a separate fast-food run within 30 minutes of that visit. Those are meal dollars leaving for the drive thru next door. A new playbook from CStore Decisions, built with operational input from Ruiz Foodservice, argues operators can hold onto more of them without a costly kitchen buildout or specialized labor.

The 29 percent leak

The math is simple for a jobber or single-store operator looking at the P&L. If fuel is a penny business and foodservice is carrying 39 percent of your in-store gross profit, then nearly a third of your fuel customers planning a lunch stop somewhere else is margin you already had in the building and let walk.

The playbook's pitch is that the gap is about perceived quality and spotty availability rather than weak demand. People are already fueling up and buying a beverage. They just do not count on the food case having fresh food ready at lunchtime. That is an execution problem an operator can fix with process rather than capital, which is the part worth paying attention to if you have been told foodservice means a franchise kitchen and a crew to run it.

Whether a no-kitchen program actually closes the gap is the open question. The 29 percent figure measures intent to leave, not how many could be converted back, and the playbook is selling a supplier's roadmap. Treat the operational advice as a vendor case, useful but interested.

The ranking

Separately, a 2026 ranking of the top-rated US convenience store landed, and WKRC reports the result may surprise Buc-ee's fans. The Texas chain has become the default answer whenever c-store experience comes up, so a list that puts someone else on top stands out. No underlying scores or the winning banner were disclosed in the coverage, so take the headline for what it is until the full methodology is out.

For a smaller operator the takeaway is the same as the foodservice point. Customers rate the whole stop, fuel plus what is inside, and a clean, well-stocked store competes on that even without a Buc-ee's-size forecourt.

What to watch

Watch whether any mid-size chains report foodservice capture rates against that 29 percent benchmark this quarter, which would show if the leak is actually being closed or just described. Watch for the full ranking methodology behind the WKRC item before reading much into who placed where.