WEST AMWELL, N.J. — U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-N.J.) visited a QuickChek convenience store this week in West Amwell, N.J., where he helped brew the company’s coffee and interacted with members of the community.

Rep. Lance, whose district encompasses parts of Essex, Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Union and Warren counties, took a tour of the store with QuickChek CEO Dean Durling, discussed issues important to the business, met with customers and worked behind the counter at the store for 90 minutes.

“We are delighted to have Rep. Lance visit our store and get behind the counter to gain a sense of our business, our total dedication to serving the needs of our customers and the role we play in our communities,” said Durling, whose family-owned company has 143 locations throughout New Jersey, the Hudson Valley and Long Island.

The event was part of the NACS In Store initiative, a series of nationwide industry events celebrating the success of convenience stores and their economic, cultural and social contributions to the community. This program enables elected officials to experience firsthand the community experience at their local convenience store.

“Convenience stores are the anchor of communities across the country and they are also where community conversations take place,” said NACS president and CEO Henry Armour. “More than half of the country visits a convenience store on a daily basis. The NACS In Store program gives elected officials a perfect opportunity to experience how these stores serve the public in their home districts.”

Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based QuickChek Corp. is a leader in foodservice, and Chicago-based research firm Technomic Inc. voted its coffee the “Best in America” in a national consumer survey in 2014.