Company: 7-Eleven
Website: www.7-eleven.com
Introduced: October 2019
Distribution: National
Suggested Retail Price: $1.99
Product Snapshot: If you like piña coladas, and getting coffee in the a.m. … then 7‑Eleven stores have got you covered with their new premium baked goods inspired by cocktail favorites. The decadent – and alcohol free – donuts and craveable cupcake are made fresh daily in local kitchens, introducing customers to top-shelf taste with a mixology twist.
The three Instagram-worthy top shelf bakery items are available at participating 7‑Eleven stores for a limited time:
- Piña Colada Cupcake – Extra moist, white cupcake with banana and pineapple, filled with piña colada-flavored filling and piña colada icing topped with coconut and gold sugar… And the first ever cupcake available nationwide in 7‑Eleven’s fresh bakery assortment!
- Bourbon Maple Praline Yeast Donut – Decadent and robust, this yeast donut is covered with rich maple and bourbon-flavored icing, topped with praline pecans and drizzled with white icing and gold sugar
- Cinnamon Fire Bomb Cake Donut – you’ll be surprised by the fiery heat of this cake donut with cinnamon glaze, topped with red and gold sugar crystals
All 7‑Eleven bakery items in the fresh case are baked in local kitchens and delivered to 7‑Eleven stores every day before the morning rush. Located on the top shelf (where else?!) of the bakery case, these premium limited-time treats have a suggested retail price of just $1.99. They can be paired with any size cup of coffee or other hot beverage (pumpkin spice is back!) for just a dollar during the retailer’s fall coffee promotion.
“7‑Eleven stores are in a unique position to offer innovative premium donuts at a great value, relative to the gourmet donut industry,” said Vareesha Shariff, 7‑Eleven product director. “The new top shelf donuts and piña colada cupcake have distinctive flavors that play off mixology trends and the craft cocktail creativity that shows up in upscale bars and restaurants as well as on Instagram. They’re delicious, and you can drive after you eat one … or two!”
Proof that donuts are delicious all day long can be found on upscale restaurant menus where donuts are one of the fastest-growing desserts. Chefs use the simple circle of dough to build creative concoctions that bring a smile to diners’ faces and a post to their Instagram accounts.
Millennials and Gen Z-ers are always looking for more adventurous taste combinations and flavor mashups, and donuts are no exception. Alcohol-inspired flavors and unusual fillings show up as favorites on doughnut taste trend lists. Upscale, exotic and quirky doughnut shops that used to be a rarity can be found in every major city, but come with upscale prices.
“Doughnuts aren’t just for breakfast anymore,” Shariff said. “Sure, we sell a lot during the morning rush, but many customers come back later … in the afternoon or after dinner looking for a sweet treat. Doughnuts and cupcakes are affordable indulgences that everyone loves, and the new top shelf ones take the flavor up a notch.”
