7-Eleven's Breakfast Offering Gets a Little Sweeter

DALLAS -- 7-Eleven Inc. is combining two breakfast favorites in a move to increase its morning menu offerings.

In addition to doughnuts, breakfast sandwiches and coffee, customers will now have the option to purchase the Maple Sausage Breakfast Roller -- a maple-flavored pancake wrapped around a pork sausage link, served hot from the roller grill. The new breakfast roller, which has 270 calories, will be available at participating 7-Eleven stores for an introductory price of $1.

The product was created by Kraft Foods exclusively for the Dallas-headquartered convenience store chain. It garnered positive reviews at test stores in New York, San Francisco and Austin, Texas.

"The maple aroma gets their attention, and the satisfying sweet and savory flavor will keep them coming back," said Jesus Delgado-Jenkins, 7-Eleven's senior vice president of merchandising, marketing and logistics. "If someone craves pancakes for breakfast, but is in too big a hurry to stop at a restaurant, they're probably not going to get them to go and eat them on the road. The Maple Sausage Breakfast Roller satisfies that craving in a delicious, dashboard-dining sort of way. Not to mention, it's a great value."

The NPD Group's MealScape 2011 Study, released in October, found that 10 percent of U.S. consumers skip breakfast, as CSNews Online reported. Even more to the point, many in 7-Eleven's key demographic take a pass when it comes to eating in the morning. According to the study, 28 percent of men 18 to 34 years old skip breakfast the most.

"Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but for many, morning is also the most hectic time of the day, too. Our morning customers are in a hurry and looking for convenience, value and quality. The Maple Sausage Breakfast Roller is a winner on all three counts," Delgado-Jenkins added.