Greatest Thing Since Sliced Pizza; 7-Eleven(R) Introduces P'EatZZa Sandwich(TM) Featured on NBC's 'Apprentice'

Greatest Thing Since Sliced Pizza; 7-Eleven(R) Introduces P'EatZZa Sandwich(TM) Featured on NBC's 'Apprentice'

DALLAS, April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week, someone lost their job over the new 7-Eleven(R) P'EatZZa Sandwich(TM). The new triangular sandwich was featured on "The Apprentice," NBC's popular business reality show hosted by Donald Trump, in an episode titled "A Slice of Heaven." Today, 7-Eleven introduces that heavenly sandwich at participating 7-Eleven(R) stores across the United States. Unlike the contestants on "The Apprentice," who priced the new item at between $4 and $8, the P'EatZZa Sandwich is available at most participating 7-Eleven stores' locations for a suggested retail price of $3.69 SRP.

Two slices of pizza flatbread with cheese and pepperoni substitute for bread slices, and are filled with deli meats, cheeses and spreads. Served cold, the triangular wedge-shaped sandwiches are available in two varieties:

Turkey and Pepperoni - smoked turkey, spicy deli pepperoni, romaine
lettuce with parmesan ranch spread served between two slices of
pepperoni pizza flatbread

Ham and Salami - ham, deli salami, banana pepper rings, fire-roasted red
peppers, romaine lettuce and mustard vinaigrette dressing on cheddar
mozzarella flatbread

"Portable, easy-to-eat foods are changing the way Americans eat," said Kathy Hasty, 7-Eleven category manager for fresh sandwiches. "Pizza has long been a mealtime favorite, and its popularity continues to grow across all categories, when sold by the slice, for take-out or delivery, even frozen pizza sales are up."

The packaging was custom-made for the new P'EatZZa Sandwich. A perforated cellophane over-wrap tears away easily, allowing the consumer to eat a P'EatZZa Sandwich while holding the cardboard package base, which can stand upright on a desk or table.

"While most people order their pizza hot, cold pizza has its own following, particularly among teens and young adults," Hasty said. "Some people will order pizza a size up just so they'll have some left over to eat later. We started talking about how pizza could make the jump from slice to sandwich. We wanted to marry the best from both."

Pizza has been called the most popular food in the world. According to research by NPD Foodworld, Americans eat pizza 25 times a year at home, and is the second most popular main dish meal for in-home dinners. But they're not just eating pizza at home -- Americans also consume the equivalent of 1.5 billion servings a year while dining out. All told, each man, woman and child eats an average of 46 slices of pizza per year, according to Packaged Facts.

Sandwiches are even more popular -- at least in the U.S. In its 2003 sandwich study, the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association reported that the average American eats 4.1 sandwiches a week or more than 200 sandwiches each year; 150 of those are purchased. Sandwiches account for nearly 10 percent of fast-food sales, and their popularity is growing.

"There's no doubt about the popularity of both sandwiches and pizza," Hasty said. "Both have universal appeal, and we think the P'EatZZa Sandwich will attract pizza-lovers, sandwich-lovers and especially those who love both."

As a result of the assigned task on "The Apprentice" episode, the Goldrush team lost for increasing sales by only 608 percent while the triumphant Synergy team boosted sales of the first-of-its-kind P'EatZZa sandwich by almost 1,000 percent. Leslie, the Goldrush team captain, was fired by Trump at the end of the show.

About 7-Eleven, Inc.

7-Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience retailing industry. Based in Dallas, Texas, 7-Eleven operates or franchises more than 5,800 7-Eleven(R) stores in the United States and Canada and licenses close to 30,000 7-Eleven stores in 18 countries and U.S. territories. During 2005, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales of approximately $43 billion. Find out more online at http://www.7-eleven.com/ .

Source: 7-Eleven, Inc.

CONTACT: Cynthia Baker of 7-Eleven, Inc., +1-214-828-7345, or
cbaker02@7-11.com

Web site: http://www.7-eleven.com/

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