When it comes to foodservice, convenience retail operators know there’s simply no reward for cutting corners on safety. As Chrissy Blasinsky points out in her July 2025 feature for NACS Magazine, “with great risk comes great reward” might work in many aspects of business—but when it comes to keeping food safe, there’s no room for risk at all. The message was clear at this year’s NACS Food Safety Forum in Dallas: attendance hit record highs, prompting one attendee to quip that perhaps “we need a bigger boat.” Their growing numbers underscore how seriously the industry takes the protection of public health and brand integrity.
Food safety doesn’t start on the front lines—it starts in the C-suite. Executives like TXB’s Kevin Smartt and Kwik Trip’s Dr. Scott Zietlow underscored how vital food safety has become at the very core of their companies’ cultures. For these leaders, safe, fresh-prepared foodservice isn’t just an operational concern—it’s a foundational value that fuels trust, drives business, and even protects employees from accidents that arise from rushed or skipped safety steps.
