Evans Petroleum Success Story
The Client
Evans Petroleum is a long-standing fuel distributorship based in the beautiful Gippsland region of Victoria. With 14 retail sites, 3 fuel depots, around 30 trucks, and a dedicated team of 200 staff, the business has come a long way in its 55-year history!
Their motto, “By the tank or the tanker full, Evans delivers”, reflects not just their strong fuel, food, and in-store offerings but also the promise of a great experience delivered by a highly knowledgeable and experienced team. “As a BP-branded operator, we have full confidence that we’re providing only the highest quality fuels, and we aim to match that quality across every part of our business, especially in food and coffee, explains Leigh Foster, Retail Administrative Manager at Evan’s Petroleum.
Opportunities & Challenges
While the classic servo pie and push button coffee have long been staples of the petrol and convenience world, the Evan’s team were quick to identify the shift in consumer expectations for a broader food range and barista-style coffee option.
“Several of our sites had already upgraded over the years to include fried food offerings, thanks to the ease and efficiency of Perfect Fry automated deep fryers. They were popular and helped boost our food offering. But we recognised that further growth was needed to attract a wider customer base and keep pace with evolving tastes and trends.
This led us to expand into fresh sandwiches, rolls, wraps, focaccias, burgers, cakes, slices, and healthier snacks. Over the past decade, we’ve redeveloped or planned upgrades at nearly all our sites to support this. We also wanted to create our own brand that would allow for a more tailored and flexible offer, so Reggie’s was born, named in honour of Reginald Evans, founder of Evans Petroleum and father of our CEO, Stuart Evans”.
As a regional business, reliability is absolutely critical. The team needed commercial food equipment that would perform consistently without causing operational headaches or downtime, often leading to disappointed customers and lost revenue.
“Our goal was to find dependable equipment that supported our food offer and helped deliver a consistent experience across all sites. We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Meris spanning over 15 years. Choosing the Perfect Fryers was a straightforward decision. It simplified our cooking operations significantly. Cossiga displays were another great fit. They’re visually appealing and offer a front-facing serve option, which we’ve begun transitioning to across our sites. The overall product range from Meris helped us create a clean, efficient, and appealing foodservice setup”.
Key Takeaways
What is Leigh’s advice to other petrol & convenience operators thinking of expanding their food offer?
“Start by speaking to a supplier like Meris. They can help assess your needs and offer insights into current equipment and menu trends. Without this, it’s easy to end up with an over-complicated menu. A better approach is to keep your range simple and focused, ensuring consistent quality.
It can also be helpful to speak with your packaging supplier early on. Understanding what packaging is readily available can help guide and shape your menu choices in a practical, efficient way”.
Meris also works closely with packaging suppliers and can put you in touch with a packaging supplier that suits your location, requirements and menu selection.
“From the planning phase through to equipment selection, delivery, and after-sales support, Meris has proven to be an outstanding partner. Their support has been instrumental in helping us grow our food offering and continue delivering a high-quality experience for our customers”.
Results
“The response from customers has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s a space we’re proud of, and one we’re excited to continue building into the future”.
With year-on-year growth, the team saw the need to expand their team further, creating a dedicated café development manager role to maintain consistency across all sites, introduce new products, and further elevate their food offer.
“With the size and scale of our operation, we needed more than just a supplier. We needed a partner, and that’s exactly what we’ve found in Meris!
The team is not only available to advise on new commercial cooking equipment and evolving needs, but they’re also responsive and knowledgeable when it comes to troubleshooting and support. They are also willing to work closely with and have a great relationship with our local contractors; this has meant we are able to place full trust in both parties to rectify any complications quickly.
Equipment issues are inevitable at some point, but when they do arise, Meris shares the urgency and works quickly to resolve them with their expertise in servicing and spare parts”.
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