Foodservice

Definition

Prepared food and coffee, the best margin and fastest growth in convenience retail.

Why It Matters

It is the growth and margin story of the trade, so whether a store runs a real program or sells packaged snacks is a large part of both its earnings and its upside. Building one is not free: it needs equipment, permits, and staff who show up early, and it changes the labor model of the store. Ask what the current program earns per square foot before assuming the space would be better used another way.