Fried chicken. Italian hoagies stuffed with cured meats, deep-fried burritos, breakfast pizzas. You name it, we're eating it at the gas station, and sometimes, what we are eating is seriously delicious. American convenience stores have inspired wedding photo shoots, music videos, epic road trips, award-winning films, tattoos, countless late night arguments in college dorms, plays—even heated debates in New York City offices where otherwise demure professional people can typically be found working quietly together.

The future is bright for the convenience store-faithful, too. Think about how good we have it now, out along the American roadside—it's about to get better, with competition heating up, as once hyper-regional favorites hop state lines, sometimes many state lines, with abandon.

Top grocery chains like HyVee are experimenting with the model, even adding Starbucks stores into the mix. The older, more traditional chains are feeling the pressure—everywhere you go these days, it seems like the coffee is improving, stores are growing, layouts are modernizing, lighting is being upgraded, rewards programs are now the norm, sandwich stations are popping up, and the food is starting to look downright appealing.

But who has the best, right now? And how did we decide? In the end, the size of the company had no bearing on ranking—we asked one simple question, walking through the doors: How happy would we be to come back here, either for a bite to eat, a cup of coffee, or an ice cream, or more?

Here, the results. By industry standards, this Texas company, known for building the largest gas stations in the world, is still barely a blip on the screen; to a growing army of fans, this rapidly expanding collection of roadside attractions—with some stores nearly as big as modestly-sized Walmarts—is now the first and last word on the genre.

We're inclined to agree, and it's not only because each of its large-format locations features an actual Texas-style barbecue joint, given pride of place in the middle of the store.

From house brand snack foods— those Beaver Nuggets, wow— to smoked sausages on sticks to Texas-sized drinks to home goods, and cookbooks, and you name it, the thoughtfully-run company is your friend on the open road in a good portion of the Lone Star State, and it's a name to watch closely—they've just opened their first Alabama location, near Mobile, and are currently working on stores in Georgia and Florida.

Bring it on. Read more about Bu-cees here. You'll either make a ton of new friends or earn yourself a punch in the schnoz, but the fastest way to meet a lot of Philadelphians is to walk into a crowded room, and start asking: So, what's the big deal with Wawa?

Part of the glue holding the region together for generations, Wawa isn't just a place for the best made-to-order sandwiches say: HOA-GIE and coffee in the industry, or great iced teas, house beers , ice creams, soft pretzels, and somewhat crave-able breakfast sandwiches—Wawa is where life happens.

It's where you run into everyone. It's the community center, even an extension of your own living room. After generations of keeping things close to home, there are now more than stores, all the way from Northern New Jersey to South Florida.

If we're very lucky, they won't stop there. Read more about the culture of Wawa here. You don't work your way up to becoming one of the largest convenience store chains in the country by accident, but you also typically don't do it without significant expansion; that's the charm of this homey, extremely regional member of the top 25—you'll mostly find them in a very specific part of New York State, in the relatively narrow area stretching from the northern NYC suburbs to the Canadian border.

But Stewarts, closely held by the same family since the beginning, doesn't have to broaden its horizons to keep thriving; they just need to keep giving their audience pretty much everything they need to stay happy, from pre-dawn buttered rolls and hot coffee, all the way up to after-dinner ice cream cones.

Speaking of the latter, the amount of product the relatively small company produces under its own, unapologetically classic brand is impressive, as is their commitment to employees, who are said to own approximately 40 percent of the company stock. In a recent release, the company stated that the scheme has made nearly 70 of its employees into millionaires.

Not a bad day at the office. If you could get your hands on some, one of the more talked-about beer releases in Pennsylvania this year took place at one of the state's favorite convenience stores.

The refreshing blonde ale was brewed in partnership with Philadelphia's Evil Genius, but with a twist—it was made with Sheetz' popular blueberry muffins. No, really, it was pretty good. Coming in not far behind giants like Circle K and 7-Eleven, size-wise, this Midwest staple shows you can grow immensely and still retain your personality; in tiny population centers throughout the middle of the country, Casey's and its pizzas which you can order through the app are a lifesaver.

Tampa Bay's Morning Blend. Actions Facebook Tweet Email. Your One Stop Shop for Wallet-Friendly Gifts This Holiday Season. Goodman shares some great ideas for wallet-friendly gifts for everyone through Cyber Week and beyond.

and last updated Copyright Scripps Media, Inc. Is that right? What surprised us the most was that we were spending equal amounts of money on groceries as we were on eating out.

One should be at least drastically lower than the other. We needed to change something. I am naturally a frugal person. It is very rare that I will spend money or pay full price for anything.

But for my husband and I, food is something we both love. We enjoy eating a delicious meal at our favorite restaurants, trying new ones, and making home cooked meals at home. So, we have no problem spending money on GOOD food. However, like anything else in life, things should be done in moderation.

We agreed that we needed to set a food budget and eat more of our meals at home. We basically cut the amount we were spending on food in half. Could we do it? And would we be able to have meals that were satisfying. Where would I begin? I announced my food budget on Instagram stories and I was flooded with responses on how all of you stay on budget when it comes to grocery shopping.

One of the responses was from an Instagram friend, Ashley, who I have been following for years. She used to have a couponing Instagram and for a brief period, I was addicted to couponing because of her. She is always making unique and fun dishes.

Because why should food be boring on a budget? I asked her if she could share her tips and tricks for staying on budget when it comes to grocery shopping. My name is Ashley, I am a registered nutrition diet technician and teaching nutrition education was something I love to teach.

With healthy eating, having a wallet friendly shopping budget goes in hand with that and hopefully here to help you save some money whilst shopping. Within that same tone, healthy can be affordable too! These are just a few tips I use all the time! Rather what are you going to have for meals daily.

It helps you stick to the list and buy only what you need. Granted this can be a given for most, it still helps me every time. As I can seriously spend some time in the grocery store just browsing products, that the nutrition expert in me.

Another benefit of having a list, you wont forget items you need for your planned meals, no more wasted time and energy to the store to pick up that single item. Meal planning also helps you figure out if you may have excess of foods, which can be later used for another meal i.

One highlight is an interactive self-care plan that enables users to set goals and track their healthy habits, activities and mood each day.

From doctors to chaplains to counselors, UAB employees supported patients, students and each other with compassionate care using telehealth, mental health apps, innovative testing strategies and more.

B Well UAB helps students easily access resources on mobile devices and build a self-care plan that encourages healthy habits. Blazers Bounce Back, which has helped thousands of students develop resiliency skills, will be available to all UAB students in Canvas during the spring semester.

This free tool, available to employees and their families through a UAB partnership, lets users practice quick techniques to relieve tension, find calm, create positive thoughts and manage stress.

The UAB Employee Assistance and Counseling Center will be eligible for up to 15 free counseling sessions and 15 free life-coaching sessions per calendar year, an increase from 12 per year in response to an increase in mental health and wellness needs during the COVID pandemic.

Depression symptoms are rising during the pandemic, but a new study shows that having a healthy savings account has a protective effect. Free financial counseling from UAB and other employee training resources offer a step-by-step guide to savings success.

For its commitment to employee health and corporate health programming, UAB was named one of five finalists of the Healthiest Employers of Alabama, an awards program administered by health-intelligence platform Springbuk. New services include a primary-care mental health team with a licensed psychiatrist and psychiatric nurse practitioner for telehealth appointments — all hosted through HIPAA-compliant Zoom.

Emotional intelligence is the top trait of effective leaders. UAB leadership expert Jean Ann Larson, Ed. UAB Employee Wellness' Riley Thornton recommends ways to keep it together and move forward while teleworking and limiting face-to-face contact.

Stress is unavoidable in this uncertain time. But as Professor Diane Tucker, Ph. As UAB transitions to remote teaching and work in response to the global outbreak of COVID , employees can still access telemental health services at no cost.

UAB - The University of Alabama at Birmingham. UAB Reporter. Latest Updates Campus Academics Outreach Patient Care People Research Resources Clinical Trials Request Publicity. January 22, Print Email. A little forethought and planning go a long way:.

Check the unit price. Make your freezer your friend. Published in Be Healthy. back to top. Be Healthy. My Health Rewards incentive program making updates in Participants can now earn double the points for physical activity. Appointments are available Sept.

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Read more about Des Moines here. This Lancaster County, Pennsylvania staple has gone through some changes of late, but being owned by a British conglomerate hasn't dimmed the locals' appreciation for what always made the chain great—its array of bottled drinks their iced teas are the ultimate summer day accompaniment and very good ice creams, sold in supermarkets throughout the Northeast.

Read more about another delicious Lancaster tradition here. Behind every Dunkin' loving New Englander, there's another local that takes their morning coffee at Cumby's, which happens to pair exceptionally well, btw, with the house line of whoopie pies.

After years of plodding along, the family-owned company appears eager to compete in a larger market—there are sparkling new stores in Florida, older northern stores are being renovated, and the coffee's been significantly upgraded.

Backed by its own dairy and bakery and around for the better part of a century, this rather sizable chain is widely known in East Tennessee, and only East Tennessee—all of its stores are located within miles of home base.

The house egg nog is a holiday must—the donuts and pizza are worth a look in, year-round. Central New York's go-to for made-to-order sandwiches, killer milkshakes from the house ice creams and milk and cheeseburgers, all at fantastically retro prices ought to be a go-to for anyone traveling through this part of the state; around since the s, they're also known for their classic ice cream sandwiches—a scoop of vanilla between two chocolate chip cookies.

Pittsburgh's 1 grocery store—that's Giant Eagle, for those who don't know—has been growing its convenience store spinoff rather swiftly; we've spotted sparkling new GetGo shops as far away as Indianapolis. Sandwiches are always a thing here, but at this time of year, it's all about The Pilgrim, essentially Thanksgiving dinner with the welcome addition of melted white cheddar on a stuffing-flavored sub roll.

This Northern Florida find will get you in the door with their made-to-order pimento cheese sandwiches; you'll stick around for the freshly brewed, all-day long iced teas sweet or unsweet , and the surprisingly well-curated wine selection.

Not bad for an all-night gas station. If you haven't been in a Thorntons lately, you might be surprised—their newer stores, with a strong emphasis on the Chicago and Louisville areas, are almost built around their Real Kitchen concept, which rolled out in There's food all day, but breakfast is where they tend to shine, with a broad range of doughnuts, along with a very popular sausage egg and cheese burrito, stuffed with potato tot rounds.

Look for the self-service soft serve machines; cones were recently starting at just 99 cents. When you're the world's largest, and most profitable convenience store brand, you don't really need to do a whole lot, but Slurpees, practically a global pop culture icon at the point, aren't the only thing on the menu—taquitos are a top pick, alongside an affordable, very simple pizza that makes a great quick meal for hungry people with nearly empty pockets.

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