Shop Rite/Bourbon St. Deli, Crowley, La.

It's truly a gift when a convenience store has regular customers that will even bypass traditional restaurants for its food. Shop Rite, a 36-unit convenience store in southern Louisiana, has this gift in the form of Bourbon St. Deli, the chain's own branded foodservice concept known for

its overstuffed po' boy sandwiches that have grown about as popular as the Big Mac, per se, among locals. It's also popular for the c-store itself, raking in anywhere between 30 percent to even half of the overall Shop Rite sales systemwide.

The other gift that Shop Rite has, says Brenda Jens, foodservice supervisor for Bourbon St. Deli, is that the company's founder and current owner, John Dan Gielen, also owns the food distribution company, Church Point Wholesale in Church Point, La., which supplies to the delis. “It's like one big family, from the distributor to the convenience store,” Jens says. “We've kept the same family values from when Shop Rite started decades ago. We're a really unique team that makes us successful.”

Gielen, warmly referred to as “John Dan,” opened up the first Shop Rite in 1966 in Crowley, La., after approaching his mother, Julia Gielen and Aunt Genevieve Saab, asking for help in purchasing a lot where his grandfather once operated a neighborhood grocery store. Out of the now 36 stores across the state, 21 have Bourbon St. Delis, but Jens says the company expects to increase that number in the next year as it looks to retrofit each c-store with a deli.

In addition, Gielen owns 21 Tobacco Plus stores that don't sell gas, but just tobacco and other convenience products. Jens says the company also plans to introduce food in these stores, but only in a limited fashion with roller grills for hot dogs and prepackaged sandwiches. Jens says Shop Rite decided to introduce food in the Tobacco Plus stores because “basically the public asked every time they came in if the store had any food.”

At Bourbon St. Deli, the po' boys stuffed with shrimp, ham and cheese, and roast beef with gravy on six-inch or 12-inch loaf bread from the local Langlanis Bakery tend to fly out of the store on a daily basis. The fried chicken and the Rowdy Rib sandwiches are also popular. In addition, the menu features hamburgers, smoked sausage, hot dogs, chicken tenders, corn dogs and meat pies, egg rolls, and tornados all made fresh from raw product, something that helps Bourbon St. Deli stay ahead of other c-stores and that propels them into competition with other restaurants, Jens says. “We serve just good down-home food,” she adds. “Our fresh program is what sells.”

In addition to just being a food spot out of convenience, many customers treat Bourbon St. Deli as a destination, Jens says. This has helped Bourbon St. Deli develop a group of loyal, regular customers that span all demographics. Bourbon St. Deli's main business comes from construction workers, primarily the result of expanded reconstruction efforts in the region since Hurricane Katrina. But, the deli also attracts families, mothers and children, and students looking for something to nosh on after school, Jens says.

All the cooking equipment sits in a linear, counter-style fashion in front of the customer's view. Along the back wall sit a large, flat-top grill; two fryers; hot-holding cabinets; a roller grill for hot dogs; and soup wells for made-from-scratch soups and chili. The soup wells are not self-serve in order to prevent customers from burning themselves, Jens says. In front of the customer sit two or three extra-size, glass deli cases with heat lamps holding many of the food items, including the fried chicken pieces that staff dole out to customers upon request. Around two to three staff members work in the deli at one time, cooking and serving food, while two or three more might work on prepping in back.

Food safety also presents an important issue for Bourbon St. Deli because of the large amount of raw product that staff handle. The company requires all staff members to participate in monthly foodservice training that covers such topics as cooking, cleaning, and equipment maintenance depending on their particular jobs. If not monthly, managers will train on the job at least once every quarter, Jens says. In addition, all staff members are required to wear gloves while handling food, replacing them often.

Along the front counter line, a cold deli case holds prepackaged chicken salad, tuna salad, egg salad and other sandwiches available in a self-serve style for the on-the-go customer. Cookies and other baked goods fill a case for display. Staff make all the po' boy sandwiches, burgers and other special request items to order on the grill. The small back-of-the-house space holds a three-compartment sink, a walk-in cooler and freezer, a handwashing station and some dry storage space. The back also houses some prep tables where staff prepare all food in the afternoon/evening for the next day. That might include shaping hamburger patties, battering chicken and making sandwiches.

In the morning, the menu features egg/bacon/cheese and other breakfast sandwiches on biscuits that are proofed and baked in-house. While these sandwiches are pre-prepared and then held at temp for customers to quickly grab 'n go, staff will also make to order special request breakfast items like eggs, bacon or sandwiches on regular bread rather than on biscuits. A station with Shop Rite brand drip coffees sits closer to the convenience side of the store.

At the moment, breakfast ties with lunch in generating the most business. The rush, Jens says, occurs from 6 a.m. to about 2 p.m. and then trails off thereafter. Many customers who travel during the day will stop in for a mid-morning breakfast or an early lunch that they'll take to-go.

Otherwise, most of the delis have some seating, although the number of seats varies from store to store. Some stores have six booths that can seat up to 32 people while others only have three or four booths. “Some people are just die-hard customers with us,” Jens says. “They'll come in for a cup of coffee and some food and just hang around.”

Location of each Shop Rite/Bourbon St. Deli has a big impact on the type of customers it will attract as well as the number of them. “Most of our stores are around other offices and businesses, and that helps our business do really well,” Jens says. Generally, office and construction workers will come in and grab something to-go. “Otherwise, those stores situated right off the highways will draw in a range of customers, and most of them will sit down and have a good meal before getting on their way,” Jens says.

To attract new customers, the c-store's web site features a page where customers can view the Bourbon St. Deli menu online and then call in orders.

“Nowadays, we live in such a fast-paced society that everybody is on the run,” Jens says. “Most of us will stop at a convenience store, but now it's possible to also get good quality food at a c-store. We really and truly try to cater to the fast pace of life without sacrificing quality.”