Convenience Store Chain Describes Its New Pizza Crust as ‘Bubbly’ and ‘Golden’

Younger consumers are increasingly turning to convenience stores for affordable and convenient meals, according to new research—and one C-store chain wants to give them a reason to keep coming back.

7-Eleven this month introduced a new crust that is “crafted for a seriously satisfying bite,” making it yet another competitor that independent and pizza chains have to keep an eye on.

Casey’s, a rival to 7-Eleven, already bills itself the country’s fifth-largest pizza chain, although that depends on one’s definition of “pizza chain” (Marco’s Pizza would certainly disagree). But 7-Eleven clearly wants a slice of the pizza action, as evidenced by its efforts to improve its crust.

The company says the new crust has “a crisp outside and light, airy inside,” adding, “The bubbly, golden base sets the stage for every slice, with melty cheese pulls, meaty toppings and flavor that doesn’t hold back.”

According to Datassential’s Q3 C-Store Quarterly Tracker, roughly 25% of consumers visited a convenience store in person for a meal away from home at least once in the past month, as PMQ’s sister publication, CStore Decisions, has reported. Of that 25%, Gen Z led the way at 31%, followed by Millennials at 30% and Gen X at 29%. At 11%, however, Baby Boomers, seem to be far less enthusiastic about what is often termed “gas station food.”

Men are more likely to buy C-store food than women (28% vs. 23%), and low-income visitors are visiting C-stores the most for their away-from-home meals, the Datassential report found. The latter might be looking for the exact kind of value deals 7-Eleven started offering this month, including two slices (Cheese, Pepperoni or 3-Meat pies) for $5 or one slice and a soda for $4.

7-Eleven is also offering a $6.99 delivery deal on a large pizza through its 7Now Delivery app.

“Every great pizza starts with the crust, and our new crust gives customers pies that are bubbly, crispy and built to tackle any topping,” said Brandon Brown, 7-Eleven’s senior vice president of fresh foods and beverages in a press release.

Further proving that C-store pizza has to be taken seriously: Hunt Brothers Pizza recently announced that it has 11,000 locations nationwide. Hunt Brothers, currently celebrating its 35th birthday, has added 1,000 locations in the past two years.