While McDonald’s, Whataburger and other QSRs are rolling out innovative dispensed beverages, c-stores continue to be pioneers in the market.
McDonald’s recently added a line of refreshers and craft sodas with flavors such as Dirty Dr. Pepper and Mango Pineapple, inspired by the offerings at CosMc’s, a beverage-focused concept the chain shuttered in 2025.
Sonic, McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, and Whataburger are all expanding their assortment of refreshers, flavored sodas, lemonades, floats and craft-style beverage formats because consumers increasingly view beverages as low-cost indulgences they can safely make during financially stressful periods, said Suzy Badaracco, president of food and beverage insights company Culinary Tides.
“What QSRs are doing well right now is treating beverages as a destination category instead of a side item,” Badaracco added. “They are building beverage systems around customization, novelty, limited-time rotation, visual appeal, and social sharing.”
After launching refreshers and lemonades last summer, Whataburger added a new Strawberry Hibiscus Whatafresher this spring.
Many QSR innovations center on refreshers, which have grown a hefty 267% on QSR menus over the past decade, per Datassential.
“At the operator level, 54% of operators offering refreshers reported increased sales over the past year,” said Huy Do, trendologist and research and insights manager for Datassential.
Beyond refreshers, the fastest growing non-alcoholic beverage options on QSR menus are cold foam, cherry limeade and ginger beer, Datassential found.
However, c-store chains have always been the leaders in dispensed beverages. 7-Eleven, Inc., for instance, has been a drink destination for years thanks to its iconic Slurpee frozen drinks and Big Gulps.
QuickChek, Wawa, Sheetz and GetGo are also among the leaders as they push dispensed beverages well beyond typical fountain soda and standard coffee, Do said.
QuickChek, for instance, has leaned into specialty café-style beverages such as boba lemonades, refreshers, matcha, oatmilk lattes, dragonfruit drinks and pistachio beverages, along with Red Bull infusions.
Wawa has built proprietary platforms like Rechargers and cream smoothies, while Sheetz has carved out a strong position in cold brew and seasonal coffee innovation, Do said.
Buc-ee’s, meanwhile, features large fountain walls, coffee, iced tea, frozen drinks and more that collectively create a destination beverage experience, Do added.
7-Eleven continues to introduce limited-time flavors and partnerships that keep its Slurpee drink experience fresh and relevant, the company told C-Store Dive. Recent examples include the Nerds Strawberry Gummy Cluster Slurpee, which rolled out late last year, and the Sour Patch Kids Watermelon and Fresca Zero Sugar Slurpee that rolled out earlier this year..
“These brand partnership launches tap into the nostalgic fan-favorite flavors that drive strong customer engagement,” the company said.
Big Gulp drinks continue to be a core platform for variety, value and personalization, as customers can choose from a wide range of fountain beverages and customize their drink through size, flavor selection and mixing, the company said.
“The platform also reflects broader beverage preferences we’re seeing from customers, including interest in zero-sugar options, fruit-forward flavors and functional refreshment,” 7-Eleven. emphasized.
Private brand innovation also plays an important role in the beverage space, 7-Eleven noted, with options like 7-Select Replenish Zero Orange Mango sports drink.
Expanding beyond sodas is becoming standard in the industry.
Last summer, QuikTrip rolled out a refreshed dispensed beverage program. Its “Bevolution” program, now in a majority of stores, features updated fountain, tea and frozen drink machines. Its fountain drink machines offer all flavors from every dispensing position and allow for up to 40 options, including non-carbonated drinks like Powerade.
Energy drink hybrids have seen numerous recent c-store launches, including Wawa's proprietary Recharger line and various branded energy partnerships with companies like Monster and Red Bull leading the way, Do said.
Lemon is the top flavor in recent c-store beverage launches, followed by pumpkin spice, per Datassential. Boba has also emerged as a surprise area of innovation, Do noted, with 20 tracked c-store launches in the past two years — more than the 17 tracked options QSRs added in the same period.
As a result of innovation and unique offerings, Americans are flocking to c-stores for their beverages, with 62% of consumers purchasing a prepared cold, frozen and hot beverage during their last c-store visit, per Datassential’s January 2026 C-Store Keynote report. That makes prepared beverages the most commonly purchased category in c-stores, according to the Datassential data.
How c-stores can better compete on beverages
C-stores may have an edge, but they cannot ignore the increasing competition from QSRs.
“C-stores don't need to panic, but they should absolutely be paying attention,” Do emphasized.
QSRs and fast casuals have undergone a genuine transformation since 2020, competing simultaneously across speed, digital access, menu quality, value, and experience. Because of that, the gap between restaurants and c-stores has narrowed, he added.
C-stores can take notes from QSRs’ menu innovation. Top limited-service restaurant chains had more than 3,000 menu launches in 2025, up from roughly 2,700 the year before.
“C-stores don't need to match that pace, but borrowing QSR-style thinking around LTOs, seasonal beverages, and value bundles can keep their offer fresh and drive incremental visits,” Do said.
C-store chains should lean into their seasonal beverage rotations instead of relying on static fountain programs, Badarraco advised, and increase customization and mix-in options.
Additionally, they can create “more visually distinctive beverages designed for social media sharing,” she noted.
Badaracco also recommends expanding functional beverages into the dispensed drink space and building stronger emotional positioning around beverages as affordable treats.
There is growing evidence consumers are using beverages for mood management and experience-seeking behavior. Even financially pressured consumers continue making selective indulgence purchases, she noted.
“Consumers may cut back on full meals or large purchases, but many will still spend on a customized refresher, flavored soda, energy beverage, or functional drink that feels rewarding without feeling financially irresponsible,” Badaracco said.
C-stores could also benefit from making beverages easier to grab and go. Many restaurant brands have redesigned operations entirely around off-premise dining, such as Panera’s Rapid Pick-Up and Starbucks’ mobile-order-forward formats.
“For c-stores, that means mobile ordering, order-ahead pickup, and dedicated pickup areas,” Do said.
C-stores have structural advantages that QSRs can't replicate, like an impulse-driven operational model, Do emphasized.
“The opportunity for c-stores is to lean into those advantages while borrowing QSR discipline around identity, occasion design, and digital engagement.”
In the end, the chains most likely to win the beverage wars are not necessarily the ones with the largest fountain systems, Badaracco said. The winners will be the companies that rotate flavors faster, integrate functional benefits customers want naturally, understand afternoon and snack-driven occasions and create beverages that consumers want to talk about, photograph and share.
