Monday, May 24, 2004 | 8:16 a.m.
"Oh thank heaven for 7-Eleven." When I was in college that wasn't just an advertising slogan, but a mantra. Many nights with friends came to a close at a nearby 7-Eleven with a buffet of late-night goodies: Big Bite hot dogs and nachos (both piled high with nacho cheese squirted from a canister and chili), chips, a Super Big Gulp and, more than likely, a candy bar or two.
Healthy? Forget it.
Then again, 7-Elevens then didn't offer the kinds of foods they do today.
Swing by a local 7-Eleven. Chances are you'll find a section filled with fresh-made sandwiches, including turkey on wheatberry, tuna on white, and a line of Tony Roma's sandwiches, such as the smoky cheeseburger or barbecue beef sandwich.
The store may also feature packaged salads and fresh fruits, as well as several flavors of coffee.
But just so you don't think you've stumbled into a Starbucks mini-mart, there remain the grilled Big Bite hot dogs, burritos and taquitos along with nachos.
This fresher, healthier menu for 7-Eleven is part of a yearslong plan of broadening its choices.
"We are trying to take it to a different direction," said Steve Keane, sales and marketing manager for 7-Eleven's Mid-Pacific division. "One of the things we've done is set up a distribution process that allows our stores to get a delivery of really fresh food items every day.
"Our attempt really is to take our food offering and to improve the quality and freshness of them. That is really part of our major strategic objective." So far the plan is working.
Keane said sales of the new sandwiches and other fresh items, along with the traditional hot dogs and other items from the bakery, have doubled in the last three years, and they are expected to double again in another three years.
"We know that there are a whole lot of folks looking for and buying foods on the run," he said. "It's the way our culture has changed; people are busier and they're moving faster and they're finding different ways to have their meals."
But 7-Eleven isn't the only convenience store trying to shed its image of serving frozen sandwiches or heat-lamp hot dogs.
Some have gone so far as to install restaurants of their own.
Comic magician Mac King drives by the Jay's Market on 9487 Las Vegas Blvd. South on his way home every weeknight.
And every time it's a temptation.
Not for cheap gas prices. Or specials on soft drinks and chips.
King is attracted to something else.
Schoop's.
A popular Indiana hamburger chain, the only Schoop's west of the Mississippi, just happens to be hidden inside a Jay's Market.
"I don't care" where it's located, he said. "The food's good."
So good, in fact, only 2 1/2 years after opening, Schoop's is gaining a reputation for serving one of the best burgers in town.
Clearly the restaurant's rather obscure location hasn't hurt its business.
In fact, it's quite the opposite, said Holly Mooney, manager of Jay's Market and Schoop's.
"I think we help each other out both ways," she said. "People come in buying gas and say, 'Oh, there's a Schoop's here.' "
Conversely, fans of the burger joint will drive from all parts of the city just to get a fix. And often when they're at Schoop's, they'll fill up their gas tank or buy a drink or snack for the road.
"It definitely helps with business," Mooney said.
Having a made-to-order burger restaurant in a gas station quickie market may seem unorthodox, but it's quickly becoming the norm as more convenience stores expand.
Other convenience stores have followed suit. Many have teamed with fast-food chains such as McDonald's, Subway or local chain Roberto's Taco Shop to offer customers more of a reason to stop at the stores.
Two local Rebel Oil Co. mini-marts even offer a full deli: 901 N. Buffalo Drive and 601 W. Lake Mead Blvd.
The menu features a broad range of hot and cold sandwiches, from a hot ham-and-cheese and tuna melt to a turkey sub and tuna salad sandwich.
While the bread selection is limited to white and wheat, there's plenty of meats, cheeses and vegetables to choose from.
The West Lake Mead deli offers such fare as an Italian sub, which overflows with mortadella, capicola and salami and Swiss cheese, while piled high with fresh-cut vegetables.
"It's fast and you can't beat the price at all," said deli worker Francie Clopton.
She ain't kiddin'.
The 6-inch sub, along with a bag of chips and a 32-ounce drink, is less than $4. A 12-inch sub runs about about 75 cents more, only without the chips and drink.
There are also fresh pizzas, chef's salads and finger foods such as hot dogs, egg rolls and corn dogs.
If you get there between 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., you can have breakfast, which typically features a made-to-order sandwich of scrambled eggs, sausage or bacon, or cheese on a biscuit.
Clopton said the breakfast is particularly popular among construction workers.
But the deli also does well at lunchtime and on weekends, when boaters on their way to Lake Mead stop by to load up on lunch.
Despite the popularity, the deli's business has mainly been word-of-mouth, she said.
"It's a good little secret," Clopton said.
At a Rebel gas store, no less. Who knew?
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