SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – When gasoline prices rise, most retailers experience lower in-store sales. Therefore, to get customers inside the stores, retailers must innovate and search for new profit centers, such as foodservice.

International foodservice franchisor Hot Stuff Foods has launched a new foodservice program, Mac’s Market, to help retailers provide their customers with “restaurant-quality packaged foods,” notes a press release.

“Mac's Market is the perfect option for retailers challenged by minimal labor and retail space," said Hot Stuff Foods Chairman and CEO Des Hague, adding that the program offers customers quick-serve quality foods in a self-serve packaged product. “This allows franchisees to open a high-end merchandising unit at a small cost within a small space and without additional labor,” he said. 

According to the release, the Mac's Market concept allows consumers to select the items they want from the merchandising unit and heat it in the microwave themselves. “From pizzas and subs to gourmet cinnamon rolls and breakfast items, Mac's Market offers over a dozen items all within four linear square feet of space.”

“Hot Stuff Foods understands that many retailers have little space and few staff to dedicate to foodservice labor, yet they want to increase their revenues,” said Hague, noting that most U.S. consumers (68 percent) eat on the run or in their vehicles, therefore increasing demand for quality grab-and-go foodservice options.