While bento boxes may have a reputation in the US of A as a creative way to pack a kid’s lunchbox, the history (and future) of bento boxes goes much further than that. Starting in Japan nearly a thousand years ago, bento boxes have been used to take food to work, to serve food on trains, bring lunch to school, then purchased at convenience stores and bento shops — yes, there are shops solely dedicated to selling bento boxes. Bento boxes are so big in Japan, you can even get them out of vending machines. Continue reading

In many parts of the world, there is a stronger convenience store culture than we see in most parts of the US, especially as it relates to food. That’s not to say there aren’t standout c-stores in some states (We see you Wawas and Buc-ee’s.), but we think there is much to learn from our international counterparts. Here are some of the global c-store trends we’ve taken note of.

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