How to Build a Snacking Program That Drives Traffic

Snacks and drinks have always gone together. While many consumers used to start with the snack and decide what to wash it down with, today many visits, particularly during non-traditional dayparts, start with a drink: an iced coffee, a soda, or a refresher. So how do you turn those drink-led visits into bigger checks and more frequent trips?

Snacking is a real opportunity

Consumers today love snacking. In fact, 7 out of every 10 people snack outside of traditional meal times at least once a week, and nearly three-quarters had a snack in place of a regular meal in the past month.¹

And those snacks usually aren't planned. Cravings are the number one reason people make a spontaneous visit to a restaurant.²

In other words, a lot of snacking purchases depend on what a customer sees and what they're craving once they're already at your counter or in your drive-through line.

Start with the beverage

Since so many snacking occasions begin with a drink, look at your beverage menu first. At convenience stores, for instance, nearly half (48%) of revenue comes from non-alcoholic beverages, compared to just 19% across the foodservice industry.³

Look at your best-selling drinks and think about what would make that visit feel complete. What would someone want with an iced latte at 10 a.m.? What would they want with a cherry slush after school? What can you pair with an adult beverage during happy hour?

Pair snacks and drinks

While sweet treats are still popular snacks, there's a lot of room for growth when it comes to savory options. More than one in four consumers (27%) already consider French fries, tater tots, and hash browns a go-to snack, while savory treats are even more popular with Gen Z and Millennials.¹

Hot, crispy potatoes tend to pair particularly well with cold, sweet, or bubbly drinks, which are very popular with those generations.

A few snack and drink combos to consider:

• Parm and Garlic Fries with sparkling lemonade. Toss them with lemon zest and parsley, and serve with garlic aioli for dipping.

• Buffalo Slices with an ice-cold lager or ginger beer. Add a blue cheese dip for a bar snack that's also easy to share.

• Tater O's™ with mango agua fresca. Load them up with warm queso, pickled jalapeños, and crumbled chorizo.

• SIDEWINDERS™ Junior Cut with an iced matcha oat milk latte. Serve with a hot honey dipping sauce for a sweet and spicy mid-morning bite.

• Stars with a cherry refresher. Add a cup of ranch for an after-school snack that's easy for kids to dig into.

If you serve alcohol, the snacks you pair with beer or cocktails, whether they're casual bar snacks or upscale hors d'oeuvres, should be salty, crispy, and easy to share. And for guests who'd like something a little healthier, you can offer smaller snack portions with sparkling waters, unsweetened iced tea, or spirit-free drinks.

Dedicate time to snacking

Start with your slowest hours, which are often in the afternoon or late night, and build a snack and drink deal program around them. A dedicated snack window can give people a reason to come in at a time they might have skipped. Keep the window easy to remember (like 2 to 5 p.m.), and keep prices within reach, since more than half (55%) of people typically spend less than $10 on a treat.¹

To keep it simple, choose items that work with the equipment you already have, like a fryer or oven. Plus, your snack menu can do double duty as party trays for game days, office gatherings, or other catering opportunities.

Make it craveable and visible

Snack decisions can happen in an instant, and they're often based on enticing visuals. Product images, the look of the food itself, and promotions are all key cues for spontaneous visits.²

Show off your snacks as much as possible on menu boards, digital screens, signage by the drink fountain, or a display by the register. And use craveable language too, like hot, crispy, golden, loaded, and dippable.

Most convenience stores get their snacks from wholesale distributors, which is why the packaged aisle looks so similar from one store to the next. A hot, made-to-order snack is something customers can only get from you, so put it front and center.

Bring it all together

A drink that drives traffic. A snack that's easy to prepare back of house. With those types of snack and drink options working together, your snacking program can fill slow dayparts and grow your average check.

Whether you're building an afternoon snack hour, a happy hour menu, or a late-night snacking program, Simplot has crowd-pleasing potato snacks that are ready to go. From new Tater O's™ , Stars, Parmesan and Garlic Fries, Buffalo Battered Potato Slices, and SIDEWINDERS™ Junior Cut, you'll find shapes and flavors that are made for dipping, sharing, and pairing. Explore Simplot's snacking lineup for more recipes and menu ideas.

¹ Datassential, Little Treat Culture, September 2025 ² Technomic, Reaching the Consumer, February 2026 ³ Datassential, PULSE Industry Overview: Segment Detail, April 2026