Rutter’s is the ‘Best Foodvenience Store in the World!’

Rutter’s didn’t just win the 2025 Best Foodvenience Store in the World title, it made a statement about where convenience retail is headed next. On this week’s episode of the “Future of Convenience” podcast, Chris Hartman, VP of fuels marketing and development, and Philip Santini, senior director of foodservice and bar strategy, pulled back the curtain on the thinking behind the brand’s award-winning Milton, Pennsylvania location and the strategy shaping its future. This insightful episode was hosted by Harry Milloff, CEO of The Mosely Group and Anthony Wysome, chair of the Insight Research Artificial Intelligence Round Table.

At 14,000 square feet, the store in Milton, Pennsylvania in the U.S. challenges every lingering stereotype of what a convenience store can be. The centerpiece is the 1747 Bar & Lounge, a full-service destination that blends restaurant-quality food, beer and wine, video gaming terminals, and live sports under one roof. Enabled by changes in Pennsylvania legislation and guided by years of deliberate experimentation, the concept reflects Rutter’s willingness to think beyond traditional dayparts and redefine the role of the convenience store in customers’ lives.

When Milloff asked “to describe the Rutter’s secret sauce in just one sentence, Hartman replied, “It’s never afraid to be innovative,” he says, describing a culture rooted in a family business that began as a farm in 1747 and has steadily evolved while holding fast to its food-first heritage. That legacy, he notes, has helped Rutter’s earn customer trust around food quality long before many competitors tried to make foodservice a destination.

For Santini, the expanded format represents something even more exciting: creative freedom. With a menu capable of producing billions of combinations and a space designed for dwell time, the bar and lounge have become a testing ground for what convenience foodservice can be. “From my perspective, it’s a lot of fun and we really just touched the surface with it,” Santini says, pointing to the opportunity to activate the space with events, limited-time menus, and new experiences that simply don’t exist in a traditional c-store.

The result is a store that serves breakfast commuters, lunchtime regulars, and evening guests looking for dinner, entertainment, or a place to gather. Clean, restaurant-style restrooms, intentional store flow, and elevated finishes reinforce the idea that every design choice has a purpose.

As Rutter’s expands into new markets, the Milton store stands as both a prototype and a promise: that convenience retail, when built on trust, food credibility, and relentless experimentation, can become something much bigger than a quick stop.

About the Best Foodvenience in the World competition

The 2025 edition of the ‘Best Foodvenience Store in the World’, our annual search for the best of the best, began in early summer 2025 with entry profiles going live in early autumn. The shortlist was determined through the combined scores of our global judging panel, representing a diverse cross-section of industry expertise.

Voting opened to the global convenience community shortly thereafter, with one verified vote allowed per person, retailer, or supplier. All votes were confidential and carefully validated.

There were 25 standout entries from across 14 countries who entered the 2025 competition and over 9,000 votes were cast together with the global panel of judges scores to crown Rutter’s the best of the best.

And a huge thank you to the competition sponsors, Invenco powered by Vontier, The Moseley Group and Liquid Barcodes.

The 2026 competition will kick off in June of 2026. To see the winning Rutter’s location and to learn more about the competition, visit the “Best Foodvenience in the World” website.