Among c-store retailers prioritizing foodservice, Rutter’s has become known as something of a culinary mad scientist.
Its extensive menu includes burgers, sandwiches, tacos and wraps that feature all sorts of indulgent ingredients. There’s a burger topped with peanut butter, onion rings and barbecue sauce; a fried sweet bologna sandwich stacked with cheese and potato chips; a chicken parm sub topped with mozzarella sticks; and The Hangover Burger, a towering concoction that crams a beef patty, eggs, bacon, cheese and a hash brown patty between two buns.
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to eat nachos out of a Doritos bag, Rutter’s has that, too.
While some of the chain’s creations may seem deliciously unhinged, there is a method behind the madness, said Rutter’s Senior Director of Food Service and Bar Strategy Philip Santini during an education session at the NACS Show last week.
“How can we create something that you will enjoy over and over again, that you normally wouldn't have thought would have been possible either within the four walls of a c-store or in the area where you live?” he said. “There's a lot of consistency that goes into curating these items.”
Familiar flavors with an adventurous twist
Rutter’s menu curation starts with having clearly defined goals. It wants items that balance comfort food with a sense of adventure and drive buzz and trial among customers, Santini said.
When developing new dishes, Rutter’s foodservice team relies on several sources of information, including customer feedback, trend reports and vendor pitches. It also encourages the team to draw inspiration from the places where they travel. Santini noted that Chicago, where this year’s NACS Show took place, was an excellent source for ideas.
“This is a great food city. You probably won’t be able to sell deep dish pizza, but what can you learn from trying or experiencing the flavors of this city?” he said.
To make it onto the Rutter’s menu, which the chain plans 20 weeks in advance, potential additions must pass several questions: Is the dish approachable? Can it be produced reliably and at scale? Does it utilize ingredients already on hand?
Perhaps most importantly: Does it have that sense of familiarity and adventure that defines Rutter’s foodservice?
An item that passes muster typically ends up on the limited-time menu that Rutter’s issues quarterly. This lineup aims to drive urgency with customers, said Santini — but it’s also a testing ground for items and ingredients that could make it to the permanent menu. The peanut butter burger, for example, debuted on the LTO menu in 2023 and is now a year-round fixture.
To drive awareness, Rutter’s creates what Santini called a “flavor story.” Using in-store signage, social media and its app, the chain promotes menu items using high-quality images and taglines that drive immediacy and tie in with culture and seasonality. The company promoted a recent Spam menu on Instagram with the message, “Spamming you the right way.”
“If you're not invested in high quality photos for social media for your food service program, I recommend that that's something that you do,” Santini said.
Rutter’s carefully measures the performance of its menu items by tracking sales as well as customer buzz. Items that do well can spark further innovation. Santini said the success of potato-based foods spurred the launch of a special potato menu recently, while the strong sales and easy prep of its chili cheese dogs has the chain wondering what else it can do with the popular item.
Many items don’t make the cut. The fried bologna sandwich, for one, hasn’t sold well, Santini admitted. But Rutter’s tries to embrace failure as part of the process. Doing this sparks curiosity and encourages calculated risk-taking that produces top-notch menu innovation.
“This is a business. We have to make money and make decisions that make sense for you. And the secret ingredient of it all is curiosity,” Santini said.
