Worcester Business Journal

10 Worcester Business Journal | April 15, 2019 | wbjournal.com Drinks 36% 44% 24% Snacks 29% 25% 31% Gas 27% N/A N/A Ready-to-eat meal 17% 28% 50% Convenience store Cafe Quick-service restaurant Source: The Hartman Group, National Association of Convenience Stores, Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council Room to grow for convenience store food Cumberland Farms is going aer the Panera, Chipotle and Starbucks crowd with its new convenience stores BY GRANT WELKER Worcester Business Journal News Editor Fast-casual gas stations C onvenience stores have long wanted to draw peo- ple pumping gas to also pick up a gallon of milk, a loaf of bread or maybe a coffee and a snack. Cumberland Farms now wants cus- tomers to stay while, with new menus featuring more elaborate sandwiches and coffee offerings going well beyond the Westborough company's 99-cent coffee mainstay, and plenty of space for customers to fix their own drinks, add condiments or place orders at kiosks. In short, Cumberland Farms doesn't want someone popping in for a bag of chips. It now wants someone to grab a spinach-and-feta sandwich or a macchiato. "It is a significant investment," said David Heilbronner, the company's director of brand strategy and advertis- ing. "It's worth it for us." e latest move by Cumberland Farms – unveiled in a store opened last month on East Main Street in Westborough – continues a widespread remodeling of stores begun roughly a decade ago. ose stores brought the first use of a bright green-and-blue logo and more modern stores with vaulted ceilings to nearly all of 600 locations. e company now has added self- serve ordering terminals, upgraded a line of grab-and-go meals to include meatball sandwiches, egg-and-chorizo wraps, and a range of smoothies. "It's more getting into the food business, or like a quick-service restaurant," Heilbronner said. Not a joke anymore Cumberland Farms is making a foray into relatively more upscale dining as in- dustry trends change both for fast-casual dining and the grocery business. On one end, the grocery industry is evolving with delivery services such as Instacart and a planned foray into the brick-and-mortar business from online retail giant Amazon. On the other, more professionals choosing to work from home has meant less of a need to fill up on gas and stop in for other purchases. Jeff Lenard, the vice president for strategic industry initiatives for the Virginia-based National Association of Convenience Stores, thinks back to the 1983 comedy "National Lampoon's Vacation." Clark Griswold, played by Chevy Chase, gave the industry a point- ed dig while behind the wheel. "I'm so hungry I could eat a sandwich from a gas station," he tells his family. Lenard sees the industry as having evolved past that point. "What Cumberland Farms and others are doing is making that laugh line non-existent now," Lenard said. Top three things shoppers buy at each type of eatery, according to customer survey. A new Cumberland Farms store in Westborough features kiosks where customers can order more elaborate sandwiches than the company offered in the past. PHOTOS/GRANT WELKER

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