Hot food programs have made c-stores a legitimate alternative to quick-service restaurants. Technology is how they can gain an ongoing edge.

Hot food programs at convenience stores (c-stores) have become the category’s largest sales driver, positioning them to compete directly with quick-service restaurants (QSRs). New research from Canopy, the trusted provider of AI supervision for unsupervised devices, shows that the most frequent c-store diners, a group led by adults ages 18 to 24, are also the heaviest users of apps and kiosks, making tech reliability a loyalty issue.

“Convenience stores have spent years upgrading their food programs. Now, the c-store tech experience influences where consumers eat, too,” said Steve Latham, CEO of Canopy. “Every time those systems fail, it lands on a c-store's most important customers and puts their loyalty at risk.”

For its latest report, Powering the Pit Stop, Canopy surveyed 1,008 c-store diners nationwide and assessed how tech performance shapes customer loyalty. The research suggests that consumers who order most frequently are also the heaviest users of mobile apps, kiosks, loyalty programs, and other digital tools. Nearly three-quarters of convenience store diners have a favorite chain, and the most loyal customers already choose c-stores over fast-food restaurants when time is short. The hurdle c-stores have to clear to attract more casual diners from QSRs is making sure the tech they rely on always works as intended.

Key findings from the report include:

• Food quality 2X as important as location. 19% of diners cite location as one of their top reasons for choosing a c-store. Food quality leads at 44%.
• Regulars are convinced c-stores are faster. Weekly diners cite faster service over fast food at 1.6x the rate of occasional diners (43% vs. 27%).
• Tech failures hurt the best customers. 76% of app users and 71% of kiosk users have hit problems ordering hot food, and 85% of the most frequent diners order through the app.
• Young adults are the most influenced by tech experience. 71% of 18-24-year-olds order hot food every week and are 2-4x more likely than any other age group to prioritize a good tech experience.
• Tech reputation outruns footprint. Wawa converts a 26% customer base into 16% of best-tech votes, a stronger per-visitor rate than 7-Eleven or Circle K.

C-stores have built customer loyalty by leaning on technology to balance speed with value, and the data shows that c-stores' most frequent customers already prefer them over QSRs when they're short on time. Expanding that preference to casual diners depends on ordering technology that works the same way at every store, on every visit.

To download the full report, visit Powering the Pit Stop.

About Canopy

Canopy is the trusted provider of AI supervision for unsupervised devices, including self-checkout kiosks, security systems, smart lockers, and point-of-sale systems. Using custom automations and agentic AI, Canopy detects and resolves remote device issues 24/7/365. Teams rely on Canopy to increase uptime, reduce service costs, and fix problems before anyone notices.

To learn more, visit goCanopy.com.

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