WINNER : Kum & Go

New opportunities are arising for Des Moines, Iowa-based Kum & Go, and with expansion currently underway and on the horizon, the c-store chain decided to revamp its foodservice program.

Starting in its own backyard in Des Moines, Iowa, Kum & Go began rolling out the new, healthier menu in conjunction with its remodel efforts in the area in 2022. The launch followed a successful pilot program in the Little Rock, Ark., and Omaha, Neb., markets in 2021.

The drive to create a wide-ranging menu specifically geared to guests’ needs is the reason CStore Decisions is recognizing Kum & Go for having one of the best new foodservice programs.

“Kum & Go has identified food as a differentiator within the convenience channel, something we can own and create excitement around,” said Jac Moskalik, vice president of food innovation for Kum & Go.

Kum & Go presently operates 400-plus stores across 12 states, with sites in new markets Michigan and Idaho to come in 2023.

“The new menu is a step toward becoming a food destination for our customers, which mirrors the efforts that are being made throughout the store in assortment and merchandising,” said Moskalik.

A Healthy Refresh

Kum & Go’s new menu consists of a madeto-order (MTO) program offering stackers and bowls. Grab-and-go burritos for both breakfast and lunch; premium, fresh-baked pastries for the bakery; and local, craft roasters for the coffee program are also available to customers.

“The menu itself was launched to offer a healthy, but craveable meal for our customers … We continue to innovate around the MTO program as well, identifying different shopper segments within our stores and how to cater to them,” said Moskalik.

The menu items can be ordered on Kum & Go‘s app or via kiosk and can be customized. The new menu is catered around customers’ needs, both by category and daypart. In the morning, in addition to the MTO options, burritos and pastries, customers can enjoy Kum & Go’s egg bites, parfaits or a slice of breakfast pizza. Lunch-goers have the additional options of refrigerated sandwiches and a focus on pizza slices, while the evening menu shines a spotlight on whole pies.

“In 2023, our food team’s focus is to grow both food and beverage sales for the evening daypart through innovation and promotions,” said Moskalik.

As of now, half of the chain’s sales take place in the morning.

According to Moskalik, the falafel bowl is one of the items among the popular stackers and bowls that Kum & Go most hears about, despite it not being the highest-volume item. Additionally, the newly added pastries and burritos show the store is gaining traction in multiple food categories.

Kum & Go is also planning for limited-time offers to boost the year-round items.

“We will have LTOs in most categories (in 2023) and our promotional strategy will be to grow our afternoon and evening dayparts, while highlighting all the fun and innovative changes that are taking place across the store,” said Moskalik. “We have multiple pilots (this year) within dispensed beverage as well, as that’s a category we will be refreshing (during 2023).”

Behind The Scenes

All MTO food items are cooked and/or heated fresh by Kum & Go’s food teams. They build the bowls fresh according to customer specifications, and the stackers are double toasted. The store’s pizzas are made with fresh dough and then hand stretched, pressed and topped.

The new foodservice program’s pastries are fresh baked throughout the day, and the burritos are made fresh and hand rolled every day.

“The quality of the products we sell is a direct correlation to how much our food teams in the stores care about what we sell to our customers,” said Moskalik.

Kum & Go’s food teams make use of conveyor ovens and vector ovens in-store.

When the new program was rolled out, Kum & Go’s food and beverage team at the corporate office was responsible for product development and distributing training documents.

“Our team works closely with our partners in operations and learning and development while developing the programs and documents for hand-off on training,” said Moskalik. “Within operations, our food execution managers are a crucial extension of our team as they provide hands-on training and development for current and future rollouts. We involve them throughout the process to help identify gaps in process prior to launching.”

Kum & Go is intent on its new menu differentiating it from other foodservice options in the markets where it operates.

“Kum & Go’s approach to investing in the future of convenience and striving to provide the best food options for our customers is what truly stands out,” said Moskalik. “I have been in the food industry for over 20 years, and it is amazing to work for a retailer who understands that a best-in-class food offering can absolutely set us apart from the competition.” CSD