Drivers continue to vote Iron Skillet at Petro Stopping Centers as nation’s top buffet
Buffets are favorite stops for some truckers.
By JERRY BREEDEN
The Trucker Staff
4/30/2009
Barry Richards, head of restaurant marketing and operations for TravelCenters of America, says “believe it or not, there is very little difference in the top food items of 10, even 20 years ago than today.”
And he hastens to add that staples — like the hamburger, pizza and fried chicken — remain at the top of the lists of “favorite foods” just as they did in the past.
“What might be different,” Richards added, “is that the frequency of these meals being eaten is a little less, replaced with healthier choices. But if you ask people if they would rather have a hamburger or a salad, the overwhelming choice would still be a hamburger.”
He also believes that while healthy choices in eating are catching on, “they have a long way to go to replace foods that the country for years has grown to enjoy eating. And eating for most of Americans, maybe even more so for truckers, is a way to reward one’s self.”
“Taste, variety, and value,” Richards noted, “all have a role in the choices we make for our food when we eat out. Healthy eating tends to be more about ‘maintenance’. By that I mean during the day, I want to make choices that are good for me. But when I am ready to have a meal away from home, I want the food I enjoy — but within reason.”
With all the options that TravelCenters of America offers its customers, what ‘healthy’ choices do drivers have?
“There is certainly a fair amount,” Richards replied. “Let’s begin with the Iron Skillet at Petro Stopping Centers. The Iron Skillet’s buffets have been consistently voted best by drivers. Part of that reason is we have healthy choices on that buffet. You can begin with the salad alone. Or just soup, like a hearty vegetable. And there are assorted fruits. All these are great for you. If you are watching carbs for weight control, you can have meat with a light salad and still be able to keep a lid on your carb counts. And on the menu itself, we have identified a number of items with the ‘heart’ symbol, meaning they meet the needs of low-fat, low-calorie, type diets. Items like grilled flounder are great healthy choices that taste good, too.”
TA restaurants have similar options available at the more than 100 locations that offer salad bars, Richards pointed out. “Drivers can easily select fresh fruit, vegetables and garden salads to stay healthy. On the menu, we offer grilled catfish, for example, as a great tasting meal with few calories and fat. At breakfast time, there’s the option to have grainier wheat bread and egg beaters, for example, as a means to eat smarter. There are prepared salad choices, too, like chicken salad.
“For either brand,” Richards continued, “customers can order other healthy options like a side of vegetable instead of starch. That’s becoming more popular to control carb intake.”
What about the fast food courts TA runs? Isn’t it hard to get healthy meals at those restaurants, Richards was asked.
“Not at all,” he said. “Let’s start with Subway. Their recent success has been identifying their brand as a great choice for great-tasting, low-calorie sub sandwiches. Jerrod has been a great spokesperson for that brand. Virtually all of the major chains now offer a variety of salads. Many are also offering broiled chicken sandwiches which are great healthy choices and taste great, too. So the fast-food industry is well aware of the need to offer a wider selection for their customers.”
And what’s on the horizon as far as healthy eating is concerned?
“It’s hard to say,” Richards opined. “I think there will be continued evolution with creative salads, and more sandwiches that are better for you. But these efforts will be successful because of the flavor profile. An important success criterion is that it can be healthy but it’s got to taste good. If not, customers won’t buy it — even if it’s good for them.”
What does Richards envision TravelCenters of America doing to encourage healthier eating?
“Well,” he said, “for one, we are developing a calorie and nutritional chart that will help drivers make educated decisions on the best food options for them. That’s being developed as we speak. But the other key to this is we will continue to listen to our customers. We engage customers every day in getting their feedback.”
Richards also stressed that “traditionally, our menu items come from driver feedback, both in terms of what they would like to see, and what they vote for by the unit sales we generate on menu items.
“Like all well-run restaurants, Richards added, “when TravelCenters of America makes changes, we bottom slice those items that customers no longer find popular, and we add those that customers tell us they prefer. So being in constant dialogue with customers can give us a heads-up on what they want and desire. So even healthy eating trends can be monitored and modified over time.”
Jerry Breeden of The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at jerrybreeden@thetrucker.com.