Rutter’s Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Rutter’s #107, located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, approximately 2.5 hours west of Philadelphia.
Rutter’s innovative food service program has fostered a highly loyal customer base, known for its unmatched quality. The menu, with over 20 billion combinations, is available 24/7. Technology integration, such as in-store touch screen ordering kiosks and a mobile app, streamlines ordering and kitchen management.
Company and Brand Overview
With 87 locations spanning Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia, and new sites continually opening, the Rutter family has a rich agricultural heritage in York, Pennsylvania, spanning over 277 years, making Rutter’s the oldest vertically integrated food company in the U.S.
Founded in 1747, the Rutter family farm still operates today in York, PA. In 1921, George and Bud Rutter started the Rutter Bros. Dairy. That led the 2nd generation to establish Rutter’s Farm Stores in 1968, originally as a way to sell dairy products directly to consumers. Today, the convenience stores are known as Rutter’s and operate in three states, Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia.
Headquartered in York, PA, Rutter’s is managed by the 3rd and 4th generations of the family and is known for technological advancements, sustainability, marketing, and philanthropy, along with award-winning food service. Our culture combines historical knowledge, with a future-forward strategy, to continue our success.
We are actively expanding our footprint with new 13,500 sq ft stores, along with upgrading existing locations to include modern amenities and, in most cases, never-before-seen revenue categories.
Innovative food service program
Our innovative food service program, industry-leading center store, extensive beer, wine, and spirits selection, and top-tier fuel offerings ensure a superior customer experience.
At the heart of Rutter’s is our innovative food service program, this sets us apart.
We offer a diverse menu featuring fresh, “Made-For-You”, items that cater to a wide range of tastes and dietary preferences. From hearty breakfasts and creative sandwiches, such as the Route 30 Burger, to fresh salads and indulgent on-the-go items, our commitment to quality and flavor is evident in every bite.
Our dedication to offering innovative items ensures that customers always have access to delicious, high-quality food options. We collaborate closely with vendors to create unique items specifically tailored for our stores, while integrating cutting-edge technology to enhance the customer experience. This approach allows us to offer exclusive products, manage higher volumes, and serve more customers efficiently.
By continually innovating and expanding our offerings, Rutter’s remains a top choice for customers seeking variety, convenience, and exceptional service in their roadside convenience store.
Store Photos
Store and Offer Overview
Rutter’s stores are designed to offer a comprehensive and convenient shopping experience, combining the features of a convenience store, quick-service restaurant, gaming operation, and fuel station.
Our unique approach to our food service program has cultivated a highly loyal customer base. They trust that the quality at Rutter’s is unmatched by our competitors, and that we take all the necessary steps to keep it that way.
- Rutter’s menu possibilities are endless (over 20 billion combinations!), and all served 24 hours a day.
- Breakfast and lunch are typically our busiest times, while we continue to see growth in our dinner purchases, as we add more options for this day-part.
- The addition of alcohol sales in 2016 has helped drive the late evening sales too.
Rutter’s “Made for You” initiative is designed to provide customers with the ultimate in personalized dining experiences. While our creative innovations create excitement, the opportunity to customize is core to our food service program and can be done 24/7.
- Our “Made For You” options allow customers to choose their ingredients for breakfast sandwiches, burritos, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, subs and more.
- These include bread type, meats, cheeses, sauces and other toppings.
- We also have craft beverages, that are made to order, including coffee and tea options, along with Xtreme Shakes.
Technology Integration has made it easier to order, including in-store touch screen order kiosks and via our mobile app, with efficient kitchen management.
Signature items include:
- The Powerhouse Chicken Parm with Mozzarella Sticks
- Xtreme Shakes
- Route 30 Burgers, and the
- Italiano with meats imported from Italy.
Layout and Retail Environment
Our in-store options and experience is driven by our slogan:
“Rutter’s…Why Go Anywhere Else?!?”
While our current store design is large at 10,500 sq ft, the newest store design will be even more spacious (13,500 sq ft). Our locations operate 24/7, to meet all customer needs.
- We have our large food service kitchen front and center, including made to order items and grab and go items from our open-air coolers and a hot-hold.
- All of our food is made right in front off the customer, which is part of the “show.” We also have a coffee island, coolers and our beer cave, in designated areas, for different beverage options.
- Many customers also enjoy our gaming rooms, which offer video gaming terminals (a slots-like experience), and located near the food service area.
- Large and clean bathrooms are also available, away from the main concourse.
- When customers are ready to check-out, we have queue-lines designed to help drive incremental sales.
- With three entrances and exits, visiting our stores are fun and convenient for all customers.
Our stores are well-lit, with signage at the pump and entrances to help give customers the breadth of our offering. When you come into the store, modern white subway tile, combined with wood style flooring brighten up the mood, and give a great sense of cleanliness. We offer LED lighting and seating areas with at least 20 seats, and some added greenery in the newest locations.
While customers are greeted by our award-winning customer service in-store, we also:
Utilize TVs and speakers for messaging to customers about our offerings throughout their time inside. This helps them recognize our full offering. At check-out, customers can utilize digital payments and tap and pay to complete transactions.
Customer Experience
We’ve won four Mystery Shop awards from CSP/Intouch for Best Customer Service in the c-store industry. This is scored independently, and we believe justifies our approach and the continued investment we’ve made in our people, including:
An $18/hour starting wage (PA min wage is $7.25/hour)
We provide many ways for our customers to contact us, and generally receive positive feedback. Some of the ways include through our website, app and via the phone.
- Truckers in particular love our large parking lots, food variety and clean locations. They continue to tell us it is a big differentiator from the competition, where they get the same options every day. Variety is the “spice” of life!
- Females also let us know that they prefer us, versus a typical c-store chain. We believe it is a reflection of our friendly staff, clean facilities, and well lit locations, which promotes safety.
Our experience certainly goes above expectations in the food service area. We offer the greatest variety of options, whether they’re Made For You, or grab and go, which helps fit the needs of a wide variety of customers. Customers unfamiliar with our brand are blown away by the menu size and value they receive. The variety also promotes larger basket sizes at checkout.
Beyond our food service, the customer service we provide, including cleanliness of our stores, is a big factor in our customer’s decision making. We continue to stand by our slogan…”Why Go Anywhere Else?”…as the benchmark for what we do each and every day.
Lastly, we also offer a wide variety of fuel options outside, which helps drive customers to our lots. Some stores have over 10 fuel types to meet most transport needs. This allows us the opportunity to grab the attention of fuel customers, and drive them into our stores.
Operational Excellence
Our culture is what we believe makes our “Foodvenience Store” the very best. We’re all very proud of what we do.
The people who run our restaurants truly love what they do, and put the hard work in to make each customer’s experience the best it can possibly be. Being the highest level of food safety training (HACCP) is also a key for our success, as it promotes a level of trust between us and our customers.
- At corporate, we utilize learnings from customers, and employees, to continually evolve our menu to meet customer needs and expectations.
- We also create great training methods for our employees, so they’re able to do their jobs efficiently.
- Our newer initiatives to expand our menu with quarterly LTO menu items has been a huge success!
Our team has gotten creative, by looking at trends and talking with our restaurant employees, to come up with some very unique (and tasty) food items.
The synchronization between corporate and store level, on a menu as large as ours, takes a lot of dedication, which is a testament to our culture of winning.
Overall Performance
Our stores consistently deliver strong results, reflecting the effectiveness of our operations and customer focus. Rutter’s foodservice segment contributes significantly to overall retail sales and margins, year over year, as shown below.
Food Service Margin % to Total Inside Margin:
- 2024 YTD July: 29%
- 2023: 29%
- 2022: 28%
- 2021: 28%
Food Service Transaction % to Total Inside Transactions:
- 2024 YTD July: 30%
- 2023: 30%
- 2022: 29%
- 2021: 30%
‘The Best Foodvenience Store in the World’ 2024