Summertime is upon us, and with it comes sun, fun, and the quintessential road trip. From Tampa to Tacoma, vacationers will be on the hunt for something quick, convenient, and delicious to eat as they mow down miles of asphalt in their minivans.
This travel season looks increasingly car-centric. More people are hitting the road, taking advantage of old-fashioned vacation costs. A recent report from Deloitte1 states that American travelers are cutting back on international travel and opting to take road trips closer to home instead. And 73% of global respondents to an American Express survey2 said they would support local small businesses when visiting new destinations.
These travel trends offer eateries of all types — from coffee shops to BBQ joints — an opportunity to optimize their menus and increase their bottom line. Here are a few ways to make your business the king of the road:
Convenience is King
With Americans on the move, build grab-and-go options like sandwiches, snacks, and other handhelds into your menu. A family traveling with small children might find a sit-down establishment daunting, but properly advertised grab-and-go offerings might persuade them to bite.
Ready-made options like Contigo® Empanadas are easy and portable solutions, delivering 11 flavor offerings like chicken rojo, shredded beef, and dulce de leche in a crispy, flaky wrapper. Or if you want to offer quick, customizable options, consider an item like this Zebec® French Fry Beef & Lamb Gyro, which just takes a little heat and then is made-to-order. And don’t forget dessert: grab-and-go offerings, like Sweet Encore® Individually Wrapped Brownie Slices, exclusively featuring HERSHEY’S® chocolate and REESE’S® candy, can sprinkle a little sugar on your balance sheet.
Maybe you run a business where convenience seeks to meet restaurant-quality food — a quick and customizable dining destination. Performance Foodservice offers turnkey, easy-to-implement programs, featuring craveable categories like Southern fried chicken, made-to-order deli fare, authentic BBQ, quick-serve Hispanic cuisine, even a full-service pizzeria. Enjoy an array of marketing materials, signage, and menu boards that help you connect consumers with low-touch, irresistible eats while they’re on the road.
To Market, To Market
So, how do you get the word out to traveling diners? Consider the ways that a vacationer could learn about your business. Contact your local tourism office to see if there are any initiatives or advertising opportunities you could take part in. Get in touch with local food influencers and offer them incentives to highlight your business.
It might make sense to reach out to travel blogs or engage in Reddit threads that discuss your region. See if there are local roadside food tours that your business could become a part of. Branding and signage about your on-the-go offerings can go a long way towards catching travelers’ eyes, as well. And, of course, tailoring social media posts and reels to highlight portable meal deals is the most popular way to reach the widest audience.
If you’re located in a region that’s known for a certain dish, consider crafting your own take on it; people might be curious to try your Philly cheesesteak made with Greek seasonings or a Nashville hot oyster mushroom sandwich that subs out fried chicken — certainly a unique item in the spicy sandwich landscape.
The Final Course
A few final tips for attracting diners: Consider partnering with a local travel attraction, like a waterpark or minor league baseball team. Perhaps you could offer hotel guests a voucher for a free kid’s meal, provided that it is accompanied by the purchase of an adult meal.
It’s smart to create vacation-friendly specials that are quickly scalable (it can be hard to predict when you’ll get a sudden rush of tourists). In addition to handhelds, consider shelf-stable sides like snack bags of Delancey Street Deli® Potato Chips, and offer prepackaged meal kits and other menu offerings in family-sized portions. Streamline your menus, prep, and packaging for faster service and either optimize your own website or use third-party vendors like Uber Eats to facilitate online orders.
Determine which of these roadshow suggestions works best for your operation and hit the ground running to serve summer travelers. Let your food become a vacation star attraction!
1. 2025 summer travel survey | Deloitte Insights
2. AmericanExpress.com: 2025 Global Travel Trends Report