C-Stores:

  "Our customers, and customers in general, are more and more pressed for time," says Jim Richter, executive director of fresh foods at 7-Eleven Inc., Dallas. "Because of that time crunch, many people are no longer eating the traditional 21 meals a week. Instead, industry data has shown, people are eating smaller meals more frequently. That figure of 21 meals has grown to 35 eating occasions per week."

  Such snacking signals opportunity for convenience-store chains such as 7-Eleven, and for the food processing companies that supply their foodservice menu items. "We partner with progressive companies that have extensive research and development departments," Richter says. "Working with these partners, we've come up with a number of successful new products geared toward that on-the-go consumer. The key is handheld foods - products that can be eaten while driving in a car or sitting at a desk, that aren't messy."

  In short, what Richter is describing is his company's line of Dashboard Diner® foods: products such as Bakery Stix™, hot stuffed breadsticks heated on a roller grill, and the 1/4-lb. Burger Big Bite®, a cylindrically shaped hamburger that fits into a hot-dog bun and therefore can be eaten with just one hand.

  Easy to eat, the products also are easy to prepare - another key attribute when designing foods for the convenience-store foodservice segment. With national unemployment figures still at record-low levels, labor is a critical issue for store owners. The less time a food item takes to make, and the less training an employee needs to make it properly, the more likely it is that a convenience-store chain will add the item to its menu.

  However, quality is still the foremost attribute retailers look for. "Our customers' needs are our top priority," says Richter. "If a product doesn't taste great, we won't offer it - no matter how easy it is to prepare."

  Richter says roller grills have grown to play an important role in 7-Eleven's foodservice lineup, and in the c-store industry in general. The countertop equipment, which consists of heated rollers that slowly turn cylindrical food items and keep them at proper serving temperatures, takes up little space and works well in self-service stations - another rising trend in the c-store industry.

  Food products designed for roller grills need to be able to take the heat. 7-Eleven and other chains typically look for foods that can turn for several hours on the rollers without drying out or otherwise declining in quality.

  Bakery Stix, developed by Northfield, IL-based Kraft Foods, are one such item. The soft breadsticks, which contain fillings such as ham and cheese or pepperoni and cheese, were formulated to require minimal labor at store level while still allowing a shelf life of four hours once heated. Bakery Stix arrive frozen; store employees then thaw them to refrigeration temperatures and place them on the roller grill. Serving temperature is a minumum of 140°F, which is reached after about 20 to 30 minutes on the roller. Temperature probes ensure that the minimum temperature is met.

  The new product has proven to be a 24/7 hit. "During testing, we asked customers when they would be most likely to purchase and consume a Bakery Stix," says Cheryl Neary, Kraft business manager for new product development. " 'All day' was the answer. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks - Bakery Stix seem to have round-the-clock appeal. We also asked about different fillings, and several received positive responses. Besides changing the various fillings, we can test different breads as well." Coming to 7-Eleven's spring and summer menus: grilled chicken and cheese Bakery Stix.

  Another winning roller-grill item is 7-Eleven's 1/4-lb. Burger Big Bite. The cylindrically shaped hamburger product is the result of a collaboration between the convenience-store chain and Home Market Foods Inc. (formerly Waltham Beef Co.), Boston. The two companies came together through the efforts of Milissa Boisseau, president of Progressive Sales and Marketing, Fredericksburg, VA, who sources products for the chain from manufacturers around the country.

  Boisseau knew that 7-Eleven's roller grills did tremendous sales volume; she also saw potential for the addition of a hamburger-based menu item. Having seen a meatball product produced by Waltham Beef, she had confidence that the processor would be able to develop a cylindrical burger that could withstand the rigors of the rollers.

  "I'd seen similar products in the past, none of which were successful, and I knew why they'd failed," Boisseau says. One problem had to do with standards of identity - in order to hold up on the roller grill for four hours, the product's formula contained too many binders and other ingredients to allow the use of the word "hamburger" in the name. "Also, given that the product was shaped like a hot dog, the company couldn't get consumers to understand that it was a hamburger product," Boisseau adds.

  Home Market Foods' R&D team developed the sort of product 7-Eleven needed in a matter of weeks. "We know the convenience-store business very well," says Douglas Atamian, Home Market Foods' president - and a former 7-Eleven franchisee. "Our product is a ground-beef burger in an easy-to-eat cylindrical shape. Other companies use ingredients like breadcrumbs and textured vegetable protein, but there are no fillers in our product. We use a special blend of spices and a proprietary processing technique that allows the product to maintain the meat's natural texture. Despite its shape, it definitely does not taste like, nor have the mouthfeel, of a hot dog."

  The precooked, flame-broiled product is frozen and shipped at 0°F or below. Store employees reheat the burgers to 165°F prior to service. "Food safety is a primary concern," Atamian says. "These products meet the strictest USDA standards."

  Since its introduction a few years ago, the Big Bite burger product line has seen several extensions. For Thanksgiving, Home Market Foods created a poultry-based product made with ground turkey, wild rice stuffing and fresh celery; the newest addition is a 1/3-lb. cheeseburger.

  "We're always looking at ways to make the product line even better," Boisseau says. "We're always asking questions like 'what is the right burger size - 3 oz. or 1/3 lb.?' and 'should we introduce different flavors on a quarterly basis?' Continued collaboration with Home Market Foods' R&D department helps 7-Eleven maintain its position as market leader."

  Ever since it introduced its signature Slurpee® 34 years ago, 7-Eleven also has been a leader in the frozen-drink category. Café Cooler™, a frozen cappuccino product, and Früt Cooler™, a smoothie-style beverage, are two examples of how the company has upheld its reputation as a beverage pioneer.

  Café Cooler drinks were introduced in May 1998. The semi-frozen non-dairy product is reconstituted from a liquid mix and held at 34° to 36°F in a self-service dispenser. Original flavors were cappuccino and mocha cappuccino; crème caramel, which is sweet with a touch of cinnamon, is also now available.

  Früt Cooler drinks made their debut a year later. Unlike some smoothie products on the market, these drinks are made with fruit or fruit juice as well as dairy ingredients, and contain pasteurized egg yolks for improved flavor and enhanced mouthfeel.

  Last January, in a move that proved functional foodservice foods needn't be time consuming, 7-Eleven introduced an Orange Power Früt Cooler. Designed for sale during the winter months - the peak of cold and flu season - the beverage contains 25% fruit juice and 100 mg of the herbal supplement echinacea, and provides 100% of the recommended daily allowances for vitamin C and zinc.

  "Our customers want to get in and out as quickly as possible," says John Ryckevic, 7-Eleven category manager for Slurpee, Früt Cooler and fountain drinks. "Unlike juice-bar smoothies where you have to pay extra for boosters and added vitamins and supplements, Orange Power is a one-price-fits-all drink that you can serve yourself without waiting."

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