Meat quality is the single biggest factor determining whether a customer walks away satisfied — or walks away for good — from a sandwich purchase, according to a new consumer survey released this month. The findings carry direct implications for convenience retailers investing in deli and made-to-order foodservice programs as they fight for share against quick-service restaurants.
The survey, distributed through GlobeNewswire Food, did not break out c-store-specific response data, but the channel is squarely in the crosshairs of the findings. Convenience retailers have aggressively expanded back-of-house sandwich programs over the past several years, with chains ranging from Wawa and Sheetz to regional operators building made-to-order deli platforms that now account for a meaningful slice of inside-sales comp growth. Protein selection — deli-sliced turkey, premium ham, and house-smoked meats — has increasingly become a differentiator on the sandwich menu board.
For single-store operators and small-chain buyers, the survey is a practical prompt to audit their meat SKUs. Roller grill programs have long anchored hot-food sets at the forecourt, but the made-to-order and grab-and-go sandwich daypart has grown into a legitimate traffic driver, particularly during the lunch window. NACS data has consistently shown that foodservice and dispensed beverage together represent the highest gross-margin categories inside the store, making sandwich attachment a high-priority lever for operators under fuel-margin pressure.
The timing matters. Fuel margins have compressed in several regional markets through the first half of 2026, pushing operators to look harder at inside-sales mix to protect overall unit economics. A sandwich program anchored by quality protein — rather than the lowest-cost deli meat available — positions the store as a destination rather than a pit stop, supporting both ticket size and repeat visits through loyalty member engagement. Foodservice program investment trends at convenience retail and the role of protein in grab-and-go category growth have both accelerated since the post-pandemic daypart reset.
Operators building or refreshing a deli set should treat the meat case as a marketing asset, not a commodity cost center. Consumer tolerance for substandard protein in a $9 to $12 sandwich — the price point many chains now hold — is low, and a single disappointing experience is enough to redirect that customer to the drive-through next door.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.