According to 2023 Convenience Voices data, American consumers are most likely craving burgers and fries after their trip to a convenience store. When c-store shoppers were asked what type of quick service or fast food they planned to purchase somewhere else within the next 30 minutes, 28.6% of respondents said they would purchase burgers (and 27.1% said they would purchase fries).

The pursuit of burgers and fries is a uniting theme across generations. There was little variation between age groups when it came to the top choices of foodservice options, which included Mexican and chicken. An appetite for burgers and fries was highest among Gen Z (56.1% combined), Millennials (58.4%) and Gen X (49.6%)—and if you are wondering where Boomers are, they are headed to the nearest fried chicken place and pairing their poultry with fries (48.3% combined).

These survey results highlight a longtime challenge for convenience retailers: food leakage. Customers purchasing food at another location, usually a QSR, after visiting a c-store has been a well-known problem for years. The West (Region 6) has the highest food leakage rate (31.9%), followed closely by South Central (Region 4) at 29.7% and Southeast (Region 2) with 26.9% of customers purchasing their meals elsewhere. The national c-store foodservice leakage rate is 25.7%.

With more than a quarter of customers leaving to purchase food elsewhere, it seems like a huge opportunity for convenience store operators to offer exactly what customers are looking for—before they walk out the door.