Convenience Store News Recognizes 10 Retailers as 2024 Foodservice Innovators

This year's top award winner is Wawa Inc., the Philadelphia-area based c-store chain that operates more than 1,000 stores. This is the third Foodservice Innovator of the Year title won by Wawa, which was also honored in 2013 and 2017. 

The Silver Medal winner for Foodservice Innovator of the Year is GetGo, the Giant Eagle Inc.-owned convenience store chain based in Pittsburgh. This is the first Foodservice Innovator of the Year award for GetGo.

[Read more: Twice Daily Rolls Out Made-to-Order Program Chainwide]

The Gold Medal for Prepared Foods Innovator of the Year goes to Twice Daily, the Tri-Star Energy-owned c-store chain based in Nashville, Tenn. Twice Daily is also a first-time winner in this awards program.

The Silver Medal for Prepared Foods Innovator of the Year goes to Rutter's, the Central Pennsylvania-based retailer that is a frequent winner. Like Wawa, Rutter's is a three-time recipient of the Foodservice Innovator of the Year award (2012, 2018 and 2021), as well as winning Prepared Foods Innovator of the Year in 2013.

The Gold Medal winner for Dispensed Beverages Innovator of the Year is Curby's Express Market, the Lubbock, Texas-based small operator recognized for its clever marketing, speed of service, and high-quality food and drinks.  Curby's was named Foodservice Innovator to Watch in 2023. 

The Silver Medal for Dispensed Beverages Innovator of the Year goes to 7-Eleven. The world's largest convenience store chain is now a six-time recipient of Foodservice Innovators Awards with wins for hot beverages in 2018 and 2020, cold and frozen beverages in 2014 and 2021, and best limited-time offer in 2016.

This year's Gold Medal for Foodservice Innovator to Watch goes to Murphy USA/QuickChek, the El Dorado, Ark.-based company primarily noted for its fuel operations until its purchase of New Jersey-based QuickChek in 2021. 

The Silver Medal winner for Foodservice Innovator to Watch in 2024 is OnCue, a family-owned chain with more than 75 stores in Oklahoma. This marks the company's first win in the Foodservice Innovators Awards program. 

Casey's, the Ankeny, Iowa-based chain of more than 2,500 c-stores, is this year's Gold Medal winner for Best Use of Technology in Foodservice Operations. Previously, Casey's was the honored as Foodservice Innovator of the Year in 2022.

[Read more: Casey's Shares Its Recipe for Success]

The Silver Medal for executing the convergence of technology and foodservice operations goes to Alimentation Couche-Tard/Circle K. The retailer is a multiple Foodservice Innovators Award recipient, having won the top prize in 2020, as well as honors for hot beverages in 2016, 2021 and 2023, and cold and frozen beverages in 2018.

All of this year's winners will be honored at CSNews' 2024 Convenience Foodservice Exchange (CFX) event, which will take place May 2-3 in Tampa, Fla. The theme for this year's conference is "Finding Your Secret Sauce."

Attendance is by invitation only. Convenience store retailers may request an invite from CSNews Editorial Director Emeritus Don Longo at [email protected].

Sponsorships are available for suppliers, wholesalers and solutions providers. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Paula Lashinsky, senior vice president, group publisher, US Grocery & Convenience Group at [email protected] or (917) 446-4117.