Amara Mokwe

Convenience stores are increasingly becoming sought-out destinations instead of pit stops on the way to somewhere else.

Tom Brennan is chief merchandising officer at Casey's, which has nearly 3,000 stores, mostly in the Midwest.

He says the majority of the chain's customers don't even buy gas.

Most convenience stores only make a few cents a gallon on gas, sometimes even less when prices are high.

For Casey's, stability comes in the form of a slice.

It's actually the fifth largest pizza chain in the country, which kind of makes you wonder, what even is a convenience store?

Constance Bailey is co-editor of Get It While It's Hot, Gas Station, Roadside, and Convenience Cuisine in the U.S.

South.

She says the definition of a convenience store depends on where you are and who you ask.

are these grocery stores that have gas or are they gas stations that have food, right?

And so in some parts of the South, you know, people think of these as more as restaurants.

Bailey says convenience stores have become community gathering spots, especially in rural towns.

For the book, her team surveyed Southerners and asked, where are you most likely to eat a hot meal?

Behind churches, like an actual church meal or church function gas station was the second most, you know, popular answer.

Convenience stores are also hubs for international cuisine.

Nearly half of them are owned by immigrants, according to the nonprofit Immigration Research Initiative.

You can get it all at a gas station.

Indian curry, Mexican street tacos, and southern staples like fried chicken.

I definitely got to gratuitously engage in a lot of fried food, right?

And it's not just about the food.