When I got the invite for go inside the RaceTrac Test Kitchen, I blew it off. Truthfully, I thought, isn’t this food with a ton of preservatives that is shipped in from far away? Why would I bother? But, after a couple emails from the publicist and finding out a friend was going to be at the #WhateverGetsYouGoing brunch, my interest in RaceTrac’s Test Kitchen was piqued.
First off, I really thought that this would be inside a RaceTrac convenience store. But, no. The company has offices in Smyrna and a real mock store where we were able to go around and sample different items and even build our own pizzas. See the video below where I was behind the scenes at the RaceTrac test kitchen.
Before we headed back to the RaceTrac kitchen, we met each of the brand managers for various categories like coffee, candy, beverages, sandwiches, etc. And they shared some interesting facts with us, which were pretty surprising:
- Hot Dogs are a top seller between the hours of 5:00 to 10: 00 am.
- In half of their markets, guests choose fountain drinks over coffee in the am.
- RaceTrac has their own private label for chips, candies and wine.
But how was the food at RaceTrac, right?
RaceTrac Coffee – During our overview we were told about the coffee bean process which includes six different varieties of Arabica beans, which go through a five point inspection process. Though I tasted a latte and not plain coffee, I was impressed with the quality.
RaceTrac Food – I really liked the build your own pizza option. You can use a kiosk to select your toppings and it prints out a receipt and your pizza is built quickly. Sandwiches like the chicken salad are high quality and come on pretzel bread. Though the tamale was a bit salty, it was good quality for convenience store food. Insider tip: In 2017, they will be introducing a Limited Time Offer of a Hatch Chili Chicken Wrap.
RaceTrac Snacks – I’m not one to buy chips often, but their SrirHOTcha chips are VERY addictive. Don’t like it spicy? No problem, you’ll enjoy the Salt and Vinegar and the Ranch chips. BUT, what I liked even better than RaceTrac’s chips were their premium chocolate offerings. These included items like chocolate covered, almonds, pretzels, blueberries, raisins and espresso beans. Again, I don’t allow myself snacks very often, but these tasted extremely high quality. And after I brought some home for my husband to try, he loved them and proclaimed that you could totally give these as gifts, and people would assume they were purchased from an upscale candy store.
Here’s the video inside the RaceTrac Test Kitchen:
If you find yourself in a bind this holiday season, like you need gifts at the last minute, or you are in charge of wine, don’t be like Chandler and Joey below, head on over to RaceTrac for the good stuff.
