PROGRESSING WITH THE INDUSTRY WHILE MAINTAINING GUIDING PRINCIPLES C-Store: Friendly Express Owner: Gary Sellers Location: 35 Locations Across South Georgia Celebrating its 32nd year in business, Friendly Express has partnered with Hunt Brothers Pizza since 1999 with its program in place in 19 locations. Sellers takes pride in maintaining a family-friendly atmosphere in his stores, which makes Hunt Brothers Pizza an ideal fit based on their dedication to family values and guiding principles. With a focus on on-site foodservice, “we strive to say ahead of the industry and focus on technology,” Sellers says. Partnering with a unique branded pizza program that continually adapts to the industry is key for Sellers, who believes that “foodservice will not only become a staple category in our industry, but it’ll be difficult to exist without it very soon.” This belief makes partnering with the industry’s leading program critical for keeping up with the latest trends and concerns. For example, “Hunt Brothers Pizza is the perfect complement to a full-scale hot and cold deli because it focuses on the evening daypart and can also be the main program in smaller-scale foodservice programs,” Sellers says. This flexibility represents an innovative approach to c-store foodservice founded in making the program easy to implement so it makes an impact fast.
UNPARALLELED SERVICE AND SUPPORT Guided by their values and principles, Hunt Brothers Pizza has grown by focusing on being a blessing to each store. One main way this comes to life is through Account Managers who provide direct store delivery.
“Besides being great support on a daily basis, our Account Managers have always risen to the occasion,” says Ali, “even if they had to drive down to deliver some extra pizzas or come on Sunday to fix equipment.” “The Hunt Brothers team in our area runs a great, consistent operation and has been dedicated to growing our program,” adds Turner. “They assist with promotions, community engagement and problem solving when we run into issues.”
C-stores feature Hunk A Pizza® options as well as create-your-own whole pizzas. Courtesy: Gary Sellers
LOOKING AHEAD TO YEARS OF BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS Without strong partnerships with customers, Hunt Brothers Pizza couldn’t have enjoyed the 30 years of growth we celebrate today. The company puts their customers first because without customer dedication, growth would be hard to come by. “Something we’ve learned is to keep it simple,” Hunt says. “We understand convenience stores, and our products haven’t changed over time.” From the moment the original Hunt brothers wanted to do things differently, an exciting new opportunity for c-store owners came to life. With 8,000 stores actively benefiting from Hunt Brothers Pizza’s leadership in the industry many more are sure to follow, promoting the Hunt brothers’ original vision of being a blessing for years to come.
“Their support and help has certainly aided in the success we have enjoyed,” Sellers echoes. “They have been a real blessing to work with.” For Harrill, it’s simple: “They look after us,” he says. “They’ll do anything for you.”
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