7-Eleven Tests Roasted Chicken Dinners in Chicago

CHICAGO -- 7-Eleven Inc. began testing sales of whole roasted chicken at some downtown Chicago convenience stores last week, according to a report by the Chicago Sun Times.

"It's to see if we can capitalize on home-meal replacement," Carole Davidson, senior vice president of strategic planning for the company, told the newspaper.

But the $7.99 chickens are just one option. Pasta dishes, including rigatoni with alfredo sauce and peas, and four-cheese ravioli with marinara sauce are also in the stores' refrigerated sections, the report stated.

The home-meal replacement options follow the company's recent introduction of chicken wings and pizza in hot food cases, and other items such as self-rising crust pizza, mozzarella sticks, buffalo chicken wings and cream cheese jalapenos in its 7-Select line in the frozen-food section, the report stated.

Additionally stores are offering packaged fresh fruits, such as sliced mango and watermelon, and boutique-style red velvet- and chocolate-flavored cupcakes, the Chicago Sun Times reported.