Digital technology company Toast has announced the launch of Toast Fuel, a new offering designed to allow convenience store operators to seamlessly run gas payments both inside the store and directly at the pump alongside traditional foodservice and general retail sales.
The rollout, revealed on October 5, 2026, represents a significant expansion for Toast as it brings its cloud-native operating system deeper into the convenience and fuel retail sector. By bridging the gap between forecourt transactions and in-store operations, the company aims to provide c-store owners with a centralized hub for managing their entire business footprint.
Dive Brief: Bridging Forecourt and In-Store Operations
As convenience retailers increasingly adopt new digital tools to stay competitive, the ability to manage multiple complex systems from a single platform has become a critical operational priority. Toast’s latest solution addresses this need directly. Toast Fuel lets c-store operators run pump operations, point-of-sale (POS) terminals, kitchen display systems, and online ordering processes through one unified cloud-native operating system.
This integration gives retailers a powerful new option for consolidating their technology programs. Rather than relying on fragmented, legacy software vendors for fuel distribution and separate systems for inside-the-store sales—such as freshly prepared foods, beverages, and packaged goods—operators can now view and control their entire enterprise through Toast’s interface.
The launch comes at a time when the convenience store landscape is evolving rapidly. According to data from the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), convenience retailers sell approximately 80% of all the fuel purchased in the United States. Fuel-less c-stores are rapidly fading from the industry mainstream, cementing the reality that fuel and convenience retail are inextricably linked. Consequently, the ability to manage gas sales through the exact same platform handling foodservice and general merchandise is increasingly relevant to operators seeking efficiency and streamlined data insights.
"We’re bringing the same innovation powering the country’s best restaurants and retailers to c-store operators, giving them the modern tools they’ve long deserved so they can focus on delivering great customer experiences rather than managing their tech," said Omri Traub, chief operating officer of retail at Toast, in the official announcement.
Dive Insight: A Comprehensive Ecosystem for Modern Retailers
The introduction of Toast Fuel is part of a broader suite of technological capabilities that Toast has tailored for modern retailers and c-store operators. Beyond core payment and point-of-sale functionalities, the company offers complementary tools designed to optimize operational efficiency and customer engagement.
Among these is Toast IQ, an artificial intelligence-driven assistant capable of answering operators’ complex questions regarding inventory levels, profit margins, and sales trends. By leveraging AI within the daily workflow, store managers can quickly pull actionable insights without digging through dense spreadsheets or navigating multiple back-office programs.
Additionally, Toast offers Toast IQ Grow, a targeted marketing solution equipped with automated tools such as email and SMS marketing campaigns. These tools enable convenience store operators to drive customer loyalty, promote in-store foodservice specials, and incentivize repeat visits by connecting forecourt purchases with personalized digital offers.
To ensure a smooth rollout for businesses adopting the new hardware and software integrations, Toast has established a key industry partnership. The company is collaborating with OWL Services—a prominent petroleum products and electric vehicle (EV) charging distributor and service provider—to handle the complex installation logistics required for forecourt and in-store setups. This partnership is designed to minimize downtime for retailers transitioning to the new platform, ensuring that pumps and store registers remain operational during the technological transition.
The launch of Toast Fuel underscores a broader industry movement toward ecosystem consolidation. As margins tighten and consumer expectations for fast, frictionless checkout experiences rise, convenience store operators are under pressure to eliminate friction points in their technology stacks. By combining fuel management, foodservice operations, and retail inventory control under one unified cloud platform, Toast is positioning itself as a central player in the future of convenience retail technology.
