I had to travel to Wisconsin last week, which meant a trip to a Kwik Trip gas station. I couldn't help myself and had to check out the potato chip section inside the convenience store.
Kwik Trip is very much a Wisconsin-Minnesota chain. Discounts on milk and bananas, a counter-side homemade jerky display, and cheap coffee.
The chip section didn't disappoint. Sure, there's the stalwarts of every chain in the midwest (Lay's, Jay's). But there was the same amount of space dedicated to Old Dutch, a Minnesota-based brand. Significant space was also dedicated to Urge Premium chips, their store brand (for the sake of argument, let's call it regional).
It's incredibly satisfying to find a new brand of chips in a large convenience store. Too often there's a homogenous selection of gas station potato chips from city to city. Around Chicago, you'll occasionally find a Mom & Pop gas station that will have a few bags of Kitchen Cooked or Uncle Rays. But these are typically the stations that, shall we say, lack the polish of one you'd find on a major highway.
So I want to test a hypothesis on this. I believe that the closer you get to a major intersection (an interstate exit, or the junction of two major US or State highways), the less likely you'll find chip diversity. Put another way: major throughways are worst place to find local potato chips. Conversely, the more local the location, the more likely you'll find regional brands. Think county highways or some state highways.
I really hope I'm wrong with this, but it will be a tasty hypothesis to test.
As I encounter brands other than the "big two" at gas stations, I'll track the location. If anyone has a good suggestion for what to name this project, email me at chip@potatochipworld.com.
For now, I'll stay satisfied with my bag of Old Dutch Bar-b-q from across the state line.