7-Eleven Inc. continues to push into the restaurant space with this month’s opening of Raise the Roost Chicken & Biscuits, a Southern-inspired quick-service concept, at a test-format store in lower Manhattan.
The Irving, Texas-based convenience-store giant already had inched into the restaurant brand race with Laredo Taco Company in March 2019 at a test store in Dallas. Like that quick-service brand, Raise the Roost shares space with one of the company’s Evolution test stores.
Raise the Roost offers a simple menu of made-from-scratch, breaded fried chicken tenders with signature sauces, bone-in and boneless wings, signature chicken sandwiches and breakfast sandwiches. The in-store restaurant also offers grab-and-go options.
“On-the-go customers are looking for high-quality, differentiated food options and 7-Eleven continues to explore new concepts that meet that demand,” said Joe DePinto, 7-Eleven’s CEO and president, in a statement. “Raise the Roost offers craveable food and generous portions at prices below what you'll find at most fried chicken establishments."
In addition to Raise the Roost, the New York 7-Eleven Evolution store at 88 Greenwich St. also offers exclusive products, services and features, including: made-to-order specialty drinks; custom hot coffee drinks like flavored lattes and mochas; cold tap beverages like tea, cold brew, kombucha and nitro cold brew; a cold treats bar with self-serve frozen yogurt and ice cream; mobile checkout with 7-Eleven app; and delivery.
“Today's customers expect even more than they did just a year ago when 7-Eleven opened its first Evolution store in Dallas," said Chris Tanco, 7-Eleven’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. "Consumer feedback – from that original store and the neighborhoods these new stores will serve – helped our store development team refine and design this next generation of the 7-Eleven shopping experience.”
The company said the Evolution stores are the first 7-Eleven units to integrate restaurant concepts into the store design. Besides Dallas, it has an Evolution store in Washington, D.C. Another will open in San Diego “in the coming weeks,” the company said.
7‑Eleven and its franchisees and licensees operate more than 70,000 stores in 17 countries, including 11,800 in North America.
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