BrakeTime Corner Market has named Rene Da Costa vice president of food, dispensed beverage and QSR, Da Costa told C-Store Dive on Wednesday. He joins BrakeTime after departing in September from Shell USA, where he was the company’s foodservice director.
Da Costa joins BrakeTime as the roughly 300-location c-store retailer looks to expand its foodservice portfolio. CEO Usman Bashir told C-Store Dive earlier this year that in addition to growing its QSR partnerships with brands like Subway and Krispy Krunchy Chicken, the company is building 35 new-to-industry sites with a “universal kitchen” inside. These kitchens will aim to support in-house food programs that can differ by region.
“I feel like restaurants and the food business are evergreen, and that’s something which would always be in play,” said Bashir.
While with Shell USA, which operates about 200 Timewise c-stores across Texas, Da Costa helped launch several food and beverage initiatives. These included Timewise’s revamped coffee menu, Chargers energy drinks with customizable flavor additions and a Latin American menu that features chicken, beef and brisket tacos and burritos.
In addition to his roughly year and a half with Shell USA, Da Costa spent about two decades in the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industries, according to his LinkedIn bio. His roles included executive VP for Ohio-based pizza franchisee Marco’s Pizza and operations-focused roles with Dunkin, Costa Coffee, Papa Johns and Domino’s.
