Daily's Says It's Ready to Take On Wawa in Florida

Introduction of Dash food kiosks accompanies major expansion plan.

December 3, 2015, 04:36 pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Daily's convenience stores are ready to face Wawa c-stores as the Pennsylvania-based chain expands further into Florida, reported the Jacksonville Business Journal. Company officials believe they can hold their own in a taste test.

"We want customers to try Wawa and then try us," stated Daily's CEO Aubrey Edge. "We're confident we can compete."

Jacksonville-based Daily's is enhancing its own foodservice program through made-to-order kiosks called Dash, which first launched in 2013. The kiosks are part of the chain's evolution, according to Edge. However, Daily's didn't make this move because of other foodservice-focused convenience stores.

"You don't win by focusing on someone else," Edge said. "You win by focusing on the customer. We are the best in the industry, offering the highest quality products over anyone else."

The company turned directly to meat providers in order to get high-quality cuts with no preservatives or antibiotics, similar to what can be found in grocery stores. Additionally, Daily's bread comes from famous bakeries, such as California's La Brea, and gluten-free designated equipment for customers with allergies is available.

Customers can order custom-made sandwiches via the Dash kiosks and shop while waiting for their selection.

Daily's food offerings were professionally designed by Robert Fallon, director of foodservice and a Culinary Institute of America-trained executive chef, according to the report.

Approximately 40 percent of Daily's stores currently offer Dash kiosks, but they will be in place at every store with room for them by the end of 2016.

Daily's is growing its store count along with the kiosks, with four new c-stores slated for Jacksonville in the next year and a plan to go from five South Florida stores to an eventual 17.

The development of Daily's foodservice program includes offering catering, which Edge acknowledges is unusual for a c-store operator. But the chief executive believes it works because of the presentation of Daily's as an extremely clean place that features health-conscious selections and higher-end products, such as wine and champagne.

"Before I created Daily's, I would have been worried," Edge said. "But Dash is much more readily accepted because people know we're always clean and friendly, and those are the things they look for."