Baking & Snack - March 2019 - 36

C-STORES

better, only 36% are satisfied with the healthy options. By providing
healthier or premium food options through its foodservice business,
a c-store chain can stand out among the competition.
"We are seeing operators continue to focus on roller grill programs
for the value purchasers but adding premium and healthier options to attract customers who would not normally make the roller
grill purchase," said Dave Gonnella, vice-president, sales, Gonnella
Baking Co., Schaumburg, IL. "While all-day snacking is trending
on the foodservice side of c-store, we believe made-to-order (MTO)
programs are the next evolution where much of the future innovation
will take place."
MTO programs give bakers a big opportunity to experiment and
offer c-stores something new. Gonnella Baking has seen growth for its
mini burger buns, for example, as chicken sandwich and burger programs are reoriented toward all-day snacking. These programs need
fresh baked goods and healthier bread/bun carries, Mr. Gonnella
said. The company is also seeing a lot of innovation opportunity in
the breakfast daypart.
"We're rolling out a French Toast hot dog bun for the roller grill
with cinnamon, maple and butter flavors," he said. "The French Toast
bun pairs well with a savory breakfast sausage and can be bundled
with a coffee program to help increase the overall check size."
Mr. Gonnella also sees c-store operators becoming more willing
to bake onsite, which paves the way for frozen dough and par-baked
products. Baking onsite, though it requires more floorspace, equipment
and skilled labor, can differentiate a c-store from its competitors.
"Baking at the store level provides a halo effect over the whole store
and will help operators build brand loyalty by developing a premium
experience," Mr. Gonnella said. Gonnella Baking offers c-store
operators a line of fruit bread frozen dough that can be portioned into
bites, topped with sugar or icing, and baked on-site.
"We find a lot of operators are using both freshly baked and packaged products," said Daniele Bianchini, senior brand and customer
marketing manager for Otis Spunkmeyer, ARYZTA. "They have the
freshly baked for the aroma to capture consumers, but then they also
offer the packaged cookies that consumers can enjoy later."
Otis Spunkmeyer, a brand of Zurich-based ARYZTA, developed its
No Funky Stuff line of cookies specifically to meet that consumer demand for BFY foods and offers both in packaged products and foodservice offerings. The line is made without artificial flavors and colors, highfructose corn syrup (HFCS) and partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs).
While both product lines are seeing growth, Ms. Bianchini said
that the packaged growth is largely driven by the labor costs it enables c-store operators to save.

Clean label comfort food
Consumers' definition of BFY is lax. It can mean something that's
packed with extra nutrition such as fiber or protein, but it can also
refer to an ingredient list that they recognize. This trend toward clean
label gives snacks - even those not normally deemed good for you
- a healthy halo. Otis Spunkmeyer's No Funky Stuff cookies tap into
this clean label trend that makes even a cookie a permissible indulgence for health-conscious consumers. Bakers and snack manufac-

36 Baking & Snack March 2019 / www.bakingandsnack.com

Feel-good snacks
In addition to developing
new flavors and products for
the c-store channel through
its rigorous analytics, FritoLay North America, Plano,
TX, ties these products
to a marketing campaign
with a softer touch that
is no less effective than
strategic placement in-store
and a revolving door of
innovation.
"We are capturing our
consumers' attention
through media and digital
engagement that leverages
our portfolio of brands,"
said Chad Matthews, senior
vice-president, sales, small
format channels, FritoLay North America. "Our
extensive retail activations
are personalized to meet
specific needs of new and
existing consumers."
One of these campaigns
that shows the company's
softer side is the partnership
Frito-Lay has with
Operation Smile, a charity
that provides surgical
care to people with cleft
conditions. Together the
charity and snack company
launched the Smile with
Lay's campaign. FritoLay ran a line of specially
designed packaging called
Lay's Smile, and for every
bag sold, Frito-Lay also
donated money to Operation
Smile. In addition to new
packaging, the bags grabbed
consumer attention with
retail displays positioned in
the most visible locations
within stores.
"The funds from bag
purchases helped fund a
$1 million donation to the
Operation Smile foundation,"
Mr. Matthews said.

http://www.bakingandsnack.com

Baking & Snack - March 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Baking & Snack - March 2019