IRVING, Texas — With the year’s biggest football event only a few days away, 7-Eleven is helping customers prepare for Super Bowl watch parties with offers on hot food items and a few fun facts.

The convenience-store chain is offering large pizzas for $5.55, 10 chicken wings for $7.49 and five value-menu grill items for $4 on game day.

“We enjoy the spirit and traditions that the end of football season brings just like our customers do,” said Jack Stout, 7-Eleven senior vice president of merchandising. “We know what snacks, drinks and gear they want for this weekend, and we have it all without the crowds, long lines and picked-over food at grocery stores.”

The company said customers visiting a neighborhood 7-Eleven store this weekend can be sure to find everything they need, including 2-liter bottles of soda, cases of beer, chips, pizza, fresh produce and even sports gear for the game. And customers can stop by the morning after the Super Bowl for products such as Advil, Gatorade, coffee and hot breakfast items to refuel after a long night of cheering on their team.

The convenience retailer is also encouraging customers to take advantage of its 7Rewards mobile loyalty program when shopping for game-day treats. Shoppers can earn and redeem reward points toward hundreds of 7-Eleven products, including coffee, Slurpee drinks, chips and fresh-food items. The app is available in the Apple and Google app stores.

Now for those fun facts: About 43.4 million 7-Eleven chicken wings could line the path from the New England Patriots home field to the biggest football game of the year, which is being held Feb. 4 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Almost 8.3 million pizza slices could cover the distance from the Philadelphia Eagles stadium.

Irving, Texas-based 7‑Eleven Inc. operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 65,000 stores in 18 countries, including 11,600 in North America. It ranked No. 1 in CSP’s 2017 Top 202 list of the largest c-store chains in the United States.

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — MAPCO, an owner of nearly 350 convenience stores throughout the Southeast, announced today it has appointed Charles “Hal” Adams as CEO. The announcement was made by Frederic Chaveyriat, who served as interim CEO during the search and remains executive vice president of MAPCO’s board of directors.

Adams joins MAPCO with 30 years of extensive experience in convenience-store operations, marketing, merchandising and strategy. He began his career as a night-shift associate working his way up to his most recent position as president of retail operations for CST Brands, a Fortune 200 international c-store chain with more than 2,000 stores and 13,000 people. Adams left San Antonio-based CST Brands in June when Alimentation Couche-Tard acquired the chain.

“We have been in a period of transition and growth focusing on establishing a new people-first culture that will enable MAPCO to be an industry innovator and a brand our guests can trust,” said Chaveyriat. “With Hal, we get not only an exceptional professional with a proven industry track record, but also a servant leader with a committed vision who knows how to inspire team members and deliver a best-in-class customer experience.”

Adams, who will report to Chaveyriat, will begin his tenure at Mapco on Feb. 5.

“This is an incredibly exciting time for MAPCO’s growth, and I look forward to joining the team,” Adams said. “Mapco is investing in its people and its stores, and I am a passionate believer that a culture of empowerment will drive strong business results.”

Franklin, Tenn.-based MAPCO has 348 corporate-owned convenience stores operating primarily in Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia, with additional presence in Arkansas, Virginia, Kentucky and Mississippi. Owned by COPEC, a South American-based retail company, Mapco operates company stores under the banners MAPCO Express, MAPCO Mart, Fast Food and Fuel, Favorite Markets, Delta Express and Discount Food Mart.

MAPCO Express ranked No. 24 in a year-end update of CSP’s 2017 Top 202 list of the largest c-store chains in the United States.

PHILADELPHIA — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has agreed to consider the legality of Philadelphia’s 13-month-old sweetened-beverage tax.

Justices will weigh whether the 1.5-cent-per-ounce levy amounts to a double tax. According to a Philadelphia Inquirer report, Pennsylvania law prohibits the city from imposing a levy on something already taxed by the state. The tax is imposed on distributors rather than consumers, but lawyers representing the beverage industry and local retailers argued that the levy is being passed on to consumers, who already pay sales tax set by the state.

Shanin Specter, a lawyer representing businesses and trade associations, said he was pleased with the court’s decision to consider the tax.

Philadelphia City Solicitor Sozi Pedro Tulante said he was not surprised by the court’s action.

“We welcome the justices’ thorough review of the commonwealth court’s decision that confirmed the legality of the tax,” he said. “Ultimately, we look forward to the day when the city can begin full implementation of the essential programs funded by the tax.”

The tax survived a legal challenge before it went into effect in January 2017. A Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge dismissed a similar lawsuit in December 2016.

No hearing date nor a timeline has been set, according to court filings.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Pilot Flying J will celebrate National Pizza Day on Feb. 9 with free slices of fresh-baked pizza for guests. To take advantage of the offer at more than 250 participating locations, customers need to download the chain’s loyalty app. 

“Come celebrate National Pizza Day with a delicious slice on the house,” said Shannon Johnson, vice president of food innovation for Pilot Flying J. “Hand-crafted in house using fresh ingredients, we are confident we have the highest quality pizza on the interstate.”

The 750-unit chain sells more than 17 million slices of pizza each year. Its pizza is made in-house with a focus on fresh ingredients, such as 100% real mozzarella cheese. The chain’s top sellers include Pepperoni, Mega Meat and Loaded Omelet Breakfast Pizza.

Customers can download the deal off the app beginning Feb. 8 and then redeem the promotion using their myRewards card. The myPilot app users also have access to trip planning, real-time parking availability and exclusive rewards.

Pilot Flying J is based in Knoxville, Tenn., and has locations across 44 states. With more than 750 stores, the chain ranked No. 9 in a year-end update of CSP’s 2017 Top 202 list of the largest c-store chains in the United States.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Eddie “Chip” Verneal Bonner Jr., former executive vice president and general counsel for Susser Holdings Corp., died Jan. 25 after a battle with cancer. He was 62.

Bonner became outside general counsel for Susser Holdings in 1994 as a member of the law firm of Porter, Rogers, Dahlman and Gordon PC in Corpus Christi, Texas. He came in-house with his legal team in 2000 as executive vice president and general counsel.

Bonner was an early investor in Susser Holdings, the Corpus Christi-based parent company of the Stripes convenience-store chain, where he was executive vice president of Stripes LLC. He was a principal architect of numerous acquisitions as well as Stripes’ new-store development program and the IPO of both Susser Holdings and Susser Petroleum Partners LP. Bonner attended every board of directors’ meeting from 1994 through 2014, when he left the company following its sale to Energy Transfer Partners’ Sunoco LP in 2015. 

“Chip was an extraordinarily talented business partner and someone whose guidance and counsel I sought every day in both a professional and personal capacity,” Sam L. Susser of Susser Holdings told CSP Daily News. “He helped create a strong family culture, and I don’t know anyone with a larger circle of devoted friends and colleagues. Chip fought brain cancer with the same grit and determination that he applied at our company each and every day. I am blessed to have had such a special friend in my life.”

Bonner is survived by his wife, Susan Swanson Bonner, and their children, Sarah Jane Bonner and Eddie “Neal” Verneal Bonner III; his mother, Donna; siblings Teri, Pace and Andy; uncles Chuck and Curtis Bonner; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his father, Neal Bonner.

CSP sends condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J. — The U.S. Payments Forum recently released its winter 2018 market snapshot, providing updates on the status of the U.S. credit-card chip migration and contactless payments, technologies for securing online transactions, and recently released resources.

Trends

At the forum’s December 2017 member meeting, several of the global payment networks reported that the number of chip-on-chip transactions for credit cards is more than 50%, and more than 60% of funds transferred during credit-card purchases are from chip-on-chip transactions. This can be attributed to the growth in merchant enablement seen over the past year. Today, 96% of the top 200 merchants are now accepting chip payments, compared to 29% of merchants at the beginning of 2017.

U.S. Payments Forum members reported a slight increase in chip transaction volumes at retail petroleum pumps.

“It is encouraging to see new chip transactions at fuel pumps, and we anticipate an increase in enablement in this segment in 2018,” said Randy Vanderhoof, director of the U.S. Payments Forum. “As a segment with special implementation considerations for enabling outdoor environments to accept chip, the forum encourages these merchants to continue with their migration plans to allow enough time to meet the fraud-liability shift dates in 2020.”

Online transaction security and related technologies, such as EMV 3D Secure and payment tokenization, are also top of mind for the U.S. Payments Forum in 2018.

“With the migration to EMV well underway, securing transactions in other channels is a primary industry focus,” Vanderhoof said. “With the unique makeup of U.S. Payments Forum membership, including those directly involved in the development of standards like EMV 3D Secure and the EMV-payment tokenization specification, the forum is uniquely suited to provide resources to aid in the implementation of these technologies to bring the same level of security to online payments as we did with EMV to the card-present channel.”

The next U.S. Payments Forum member meeting will take place March 27-29, 2018, in ChampionsGate, Fla., at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.

Resources

Over the past quarter, the U.S. Payments Forum has published the following resources on chip implementation and optimization guidance:

• EMV Troubleshooting Guide for ATM Owners and Operators, a white paper. This resource provides recommendations to help ATM owners prevent common transaction issues, and it offers suggestions for troubleshooting problems when they occur.
• EMV Contactless Testing & Certification Workshop for VARs, ISVs and ISOs. The Testing and Certification Working Committee held a workshop to review requirements for EMV contactless testing and certification in the U.S.
• EMV Testing and Certification: Current Global Payment Network Requirements for the U.S. Acquiring Community, a white paper. This resource provides the most up-to-date requirements and processes from the global payment networks, includes testing and certification requirements for Quick Chip and M/Chip Fast implementations, and includes information on contactless EMV certification and testing processes.
• Optimizing Transaction Speed at the Point of Sale, a white paper update. This white paper focuses on several categories of approaches to help speed transactions and discusses their potential effects for each stakeholder group in the U.S. payments ecosystem.

NEW YORK — Instead of paying the going rate of $5 million or more for a 30-second ad spot during this weekend’s Super Bowl, Kind LLC will donate $6 million worth of its snack bars to fans across the country.

In addition, in a promotional video on YouTube, Kind’s founder Daniel Lubetzky said the company will give a Kind bar to each of the first 3 million people to click on the link at the end of the video.

“At Kind, we’re really good at making snacks,” said Drew Nannis, vice president of integrated communications for Kind. “As you can tell, we don’t always make the best ads. Instead of spending $6 million on a 30-second spot to convince the world to try our products, we thought it’d be more efficient to give them our product to try for themselves.”

Nannis said that nine out of 10 people will purchase a Kind bar once they taste it, making the food-sampling initiative a winner.

Lubetzky’s video, which also features a link to the free Kind samples, is running via YouTube and across the brand’s social-media channels and email newsletters. Kind has yet to advertise during the Super Bowl, and this promotion marks the first time it has done anything around the big game.

New York-based Kind manufactures seven product lines made from whole ingredients, including Kind Fruit & Nut, Kind Nuts & Spices, Kind Healthy Grains Bars and Kind Healthy Grains Clusters.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Fuels Institute has chosen three new members for its board of directors, including representatives from some of the largest distribution, retail and refining businesses in the United States.

The new board members are:

• Brian Johnston, senior director of transportation, Core-Mark International Inc., South San Francisco, Calif.
• Michael Lorenz, executive vice president of petroleum supply, Sheetz Inc., Altoona, Pa.
• Derek Regal, senior manager of fuels and regulatory issues, Andeavor, San Antonio

The new members will serve on the board from January 2018 to December 2019 and participate in the executive, governance and fiduciary oversight of the Fuels Institute.

“Diversity of perspective throughout the transportation industry is a critical ingredient to the success of the Fuels Institute,” said John Eichberger, executive director of the Alexandria, Va.-based group. “Our board members exemplify this commitment to diversity, and they individually bring a level of expertise within their sectors to ensure that the organization stays focused on the subjects that will have the greatest benefit to the market. As the Fuels Institute wraps up its fifth year, we are excited to be led by such a talented group of industry stakeholders.”

The new board members join Chairman Jay Ricker, chairman of Ricker Oil Co., Anderson, Ind., and Treasurer Bob Wimmer, director of the energy and environmental research group of Toyota Motors North America, Washington, D.C. Also continuing as board members are:

• Mark DeVries, director of business development, Poet Ethanol Products, Wichita, Kan.
• Matt Forman, senior manager of external affairs, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles U.S., Auburn Hills, Mich.
• Doug Haugh, president, Parkland USA, Gainesville, Ga.
• Brian Mandell, senior vice president, commercial, Phillips 66 Co., Houston
• Ron Sabia, chief strategy officer, Gulf Oil, Wellesley Hills, Mass.

The Fuels Institute is a nonprofit research-oriented think tank dedicated to evaluating the market issues related to consumer vehicles and the fuels that power them. It will host its Fuels2018 meeting May 22-24 in Chicago. The annual meeting brings together representatives from the fuel and automotive industries, as well as government entities and consumer groups, to discuss the future of the vehicle and fuel markets. Click here for more information.

IRVING, Texas — 7-Eleven’s newest hot-beverage launch draws its inspiration from The Hershey Co.’s first new candy bar in 20 years. Participating 7-Eleven Inc. stores will offer Hershey’s Gold Caramelized Cappuccino for a limited time.

Since its launch, Hershey’s Gold has been a top-seller at the Irving, Texas-based chain, according to the company. The beverage limited-time offer (LTO) takes on a buttery, salty-sweet flavor profile to resemble the caramelized cream, pretzels and peanuts in the candy bar.

“When Hershey approached us about creating a new cappuccino drink flavored like a delicious new candy bar, we jumped on board,” said Shawn Barnes, 7-Eleven senior category manager. “Our customers choose 7-Eleven cappuccino and hot chocolate drinks to treat themselves, and our goal is to offer rich, decadent flavors you can’t find anywhere else. Hershey’s Gold is exactly that, and people love it—both as a candy bar and a cappuccino.”

The Hershey’s Gold bar comes in both standard and king sizes. Customers can purchase the candy bar alongside their cappuccino at participating 7-Eleven locations.

This new LTO is a continuation of beverage collaborations and private-label launches used to differentiate the c-store. Late last year, 7-Eleven developed a new brand of private-label wines called Trojan Horse. Aimed at millennials, the two varieties of white wines are priced at $6.99 for a 750-mL bottle.

7-Eleven Inc. operates, franchises and/or licenses in more than 63,000 stores in 18 countries, including 10,900 in North America.

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ontario — McDougall Energy Inc. is the first company to take advantage of Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.’s new full-service franchise offering with its Circle K brand in Ontario, signing an agreement for 20 sites to open within the next five years.

Circle K entered the Ontario franchise market earlier this month to foster the growth of the brand and complement Couche-Tard’s nearly 10,000 stores in North America, including more than 2,200 in Canada.

McDougall Energy is a privately owned, third-generation family business that has been providing products and services to energy customers for more than 70 years, including through its network of retail fuel dealers in Ontario and British Columbia.

“We believe McDougall Energy will be an excellent partner in our growth in the Ontario market,” said Matt McCure, vice president of Circle K Worldwide Franchise. “McDougall Energy has proven itself as a successful owner of dealer networks, and will help drive traffic to the Circle K brand and its popular products for customers on the go in the Ontario province.”

“As a company looking for continued growth, it is a natural fit for us to partner with Circle K,” said Darren McDougall, president of McDougall Energy. “We are pleased to be aligning with the success and experience that comes with Circle K and to expand our dealer network with a leading brand in Canadian convenience stores.”

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario-based McDougall Energy is a marketer and distributor of heating oil, propane, gasoline, diesel fuel and commercial lubricants, as well as an Esso retailer.

Laval, Quebec-based Couche-Tard’s network includes 9,987 convenience stores in North America, including 8,657 stores dispensing fuel. Its North American network consists of 19 business units, including 15 in the United States covering 48 states and four in Canada covering all 10 provinces. Through CrossAmerica Partners LP, Allentown, Pa., it also supplies fuel under various brands to more than 1,200 locations in the United States.