Yatco Adds Chester's Chicken to Its C-Store Restaurant Roster

Yatco, a convenience retailer based in Massachusetts, has opened its first Chester's Chicken quick-service restaurant location inside one of its stores, adding the fried chicken brand to a growing list of restaurant partners.

The company operates convenience stores across Massachusetts and is building out a portfolio of co-branded food concepts. Chester's Chicken becomes the latest partner as Yatco works to differentiate its c-stores through prepared food offerings rather than traditional convenience items alone.

For Yatco, the move signals a broader strategy: convenience stores increasingly compete with QSR chains on food, and partnerships let independent operators add recognized restaurant brands without building kitchens or menus from scratch.

Chester's Chicken, a fried chicken franchise with thousands of locations nationwide, primarily operates inside convenience stores, truck stops and supermarkets — a distribution model that matches Yatco's footprint and gives the retailer a proven foodservice format.

The expansion of Yatco's restaurant partner roster reflects wider industry pressure. Convenience retailers face flat traffic on fuel and rising consumer demand for fresh, prepared meals. Foodservice has become the primary growth lever for c-stores seeking margin expansion and repeat visits.

As Yatco scales the Chester's Chicken concept across additional locations, the retailer will test whether co-branded QSR partnerships can convert its stores into food destinations.