Ethanol is a renewable fuel made primarily by distilling grains such as corn, wheat, barley and other food crops. It is an alcohol that is mixed with gasoline when used in vehicles. Cars can run on a mix of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, but typically ethanol is only used as a fuel additive in [...]
Scott Zaremba grew up in the fuel business. As president and CEO of Zarco 66, the petroleum company his father founded in 1968, Zaremba is battle-tested in the trenches and has the scars to prove it. But what motivates this savvy industry veteran every day is the opportunity to push the boundaries of creativity and [...]
In March, Rick Pajak and his team rolled out a new breakfast sandwich program under Wilson Farms’ self-branded Fresh N Ready label. The sandwiches come in four varieties produced by Lettieri’s, a division of Hot Stuff Foods, which was able to tailor the menu according to the chain’s tastes. The previous program required employees to [...]
Rick Pajak breathed new life into Wilson Farms’ hot and cold dispensed category by treating condiments less as an afterthought and more as a category of its own. “We look at the condiment section as one of the longest stops in the store,” he said. “Why not give them the right space and right opportunity [...]
WILSON FARMS TIMELINE * 1960: Tops Markets is co-founded by Savino Nanula and Armand Castellani. 1969: Tops Markets opens the first Wilson Farms Neighborhood Food store in Tonawanda, N.Y., naming the store after a company-owned farm in Wilson, N.Y. 1978: Wilson Farms expands in N.Y. to Rochester and later to Syracuse. 1980s: Tops Markets is [...]
Ashley Cullen doesn’t fancy himself a holy being among retailers, but he does know that dropping an occasional bag of Combos onto a gondola doesn’t make for the crowning achievement in inventory management. “When I first got here, we were lucky if we got $200 a day in deli,” Cullen said. “Now we’re averaging $450 [...]
Mel Kleiman offers the $10 test: Give your applicant a $10 bill and tell him to buy something in the store—a sandwich, a fountain drink, anything of his choosing—and ask him to return the next day with an assessment of the experience. The applicant will do one of three things: • Take the $10 and [...]
Among retailers who tuned in to CSD’s Webcast on hiring foodservice employees, more than 57% said finding part-time workers is one of their biggest hiring challenges. A second Webcast poll showed retailers rely on three primary sources to find the best employees: • Referrals: 50% • Walk-ins: 37.5% • Advertisements: 12.5% Mel Kleiman, of Humetrics [...]
Five years ago, Open Pantry was poised to move beyond the humdrum in southeast Wisconsin. The 26-store convenience retailer was bracing for big changes inside and out, all part of a mammoth push to polish the chain’s image with new products, programs and brands. A gourmet sandwich line was added. Larger roller grills were installed [...]
The Discovery Trifecta Location: Coolidge, Ariz. Opening: September 2008 Key Features: 2,400-square-foot c-store on one acre; 1,400 square feet for Little Caesars pizza; four pumps offering unbranded standard fuels and E85; a sizable coffee cafe; beer cave and 20-head soda fountain top it off. Details: Positioned within a town of 9,000 residents, the store will [...]
At a time when many industry marketers are struggling with high gas prices, exorbitant credit card fees and few options, one company is shining above all others. Over the past 12 months, San Ramon, Calif.-based Chevron has reduced credit card processing fees for its branded marketers, launched a new “no fee” co-branded Visa credit card [...]