CHEVRON FINDS FOODINI'S CUSTOMERS LIKE TO EAT ON THE RUN

ROSEANNE HARPER

MODESTO, Calif. -- Chevron Corp., the San Ramon, Calif.-based petroleum giant, has opened its second Foodini's fresh meals store here with a revved up breakfast menu.

Since the first Foodini's Fresh Meal Market was launched in March in San Ramon (as reported in SN 3/30/98), the company has found that customers want more breakfast items they can eat on the run, said John Cooper, manager of the concept at Chevron Products, San Ramon.

"In particular, they said they prefer to have more hot items," Cooper said.

Foodini's is owned by Chevron Products, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chevron, one of the largest marketers of petroleum products in the U.S.

The "Bagelicious," a bagel sandwich with eggs and a choice of ham or bacon was added when the second Foodini's opened here on April 22. A hot cinnamon roll, added this month, is the latest addition. Both items have also been added to the menu at the original location in San Ramon.

The feedback from customers was gathered via interaction with associates, through customer comment cards, and from local business people who were asked for suggestions, Cooper said.

More formal research will be conducted this summer and will include store intercept interviews with customers, he said. Two very popular breakfast items that got their start at the original location are a "waffsickle," which is a waffle on a stick that retails for 99 cents.

"That's very popular with customers from the beginning," Cooper said.