Consumer sentiment on fresh food safety at convenience stores

Now offering fresh meals, hot beverages, and budget-friendly bundles, convenience stores are becoming direct competitors to fast-food chains. As these stores expand, Logile, a provider of operational and food safety solutions for retailers, surveyed U.S. consumers to gauge their sentiment about shopping in them. The 2025 Logile Convenience Store Food Quality & Safety Report, conducted via the third-party platform Pollfish, gathered insights from 1,000 U.S. adults to uncover the red flags, trust-building signals, and operational gaps that determine whether customers walk away or walk out with a purchase.

Key findings from the report include:

• The “think twice” list runs long: 85% of respondents say they wouldn’t buy sushi from a “gas station” or convenience store. Packaged salads (41%), pre-cut fruit (40%), hot-case burritos (39%), and roller-grill hot dogs (36%) are also high on the “think twice” list.
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• Cleanliness is a make-or-break factor: 77% say food that’s been sitting out too long is a dealbreaker, and 59% won’t touch anything if the prep area looks dirty. More than half (56%) have walked away from a purchase after seeing an unclean machine or service station.
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• Trust still trails restaurants: Nearly three-quarters (74%) say they trust gas station or convenience store food safety less than restaurant food safety, and only 9% feel highly confident eating food from a gas station or convenience store.
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• Consumers find bites are getting better: 53% of consumers say food has gotten better in recent years, yet only 10% report consistently positive experiences.
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• Shoppers want visible proof: 67% want to see signs that food is freshly made, 62% look for overall cleanliness, and 54% check packaging for freshness or prep-time labels. 33% say they’d be more likely to buy if cleaning or food rotation schedules were visible in-store. Another 40% say tech-enabled safety systems would boost their trust, but only if they see clear signs the store is following procedure.

“In today’s competitive foodservice landscape, empowering frontline c-store workers to deliver confidence at every touchpoint isn’t just operationally smart. It’s essential to growing long-term trust and loyalty,” said Purna Mishra, Founder and CEO, Logile. “That’s why it’s critical to equip associates with the processes and systems they need to maintain rigorous food safety protocols, consistent delivery of quality fresh foods, and a clean, well-maintained environment. With tools like automated temperature monitoring, real-time task alerts, cleaning checklists and fresh item inventory insights, associates become the driving force behind a safer, smarter and superior in-store experience."

This survey’s findings reveal a promising path forward. While some skepticism about convenience store food persists, many consumers are curious and open to changing their shopping habits. Shoppers are clear about what earns their trust—from fresh, high-quality food to clean environments and clear safety cues.

For convenience retailers, that trust-building process starts at the front line. The associates who stock the shelves, prep the food, and interact with customers have the greatest influence on whether shoppers feel safe making a purchase. Equipping these teams with the right real-time data insight, task automation and food safety management tools ensures that quality and safety standards are consistently met and clearly communicated to the customer.

Visit the 2025 Logile Convenience Store Food Quality & Safety Report for full results and additional insights.