DALLAS -- 7-Eleven Inc. stores are now introducing a richer, fudgier icing for its chocolate-covered donutsone that Joe Hermes, senior fresh foods director for baked goods, has sweet memories of from Wohlleb's, the German bakery just blocks away from his grandparents' home in Louisville, Ky., where as a child, his favorite bakery treats were the donuts with chocolate icing. The new chocolate donuts are available in 4,800 U.S. and 400 Canadian 7-Eleven stores that carry fresh-made-daily baked goods.
Founded in 1919, Wohlleb's Bakerylong closedwas a Louisville institution [image-nocss] for more than 90 years and influenced Hermes' decision to enter the bakery business. As an adult, Hermes ran his own independent bakery, worked in bakery operations for a national grocery retailer and for Dawn Food Products, a commercial baking supplies company. He joined 7-Eleven to head up the company's fresh bakery and pastry program whereby stores order daily and receive overnight sweets and morning treats.
The fresh-made products are prepared every day of the year by third-party experts in bakery facilities where 7-Eleven has a concentration of stores.
Instead of making donuts by the dozen in retail shops, Hermes oversees the daily production of millions of cookies and brownies, apple fritters and muffins, croissants and bagels for 7-Eleven stores.
So when it came time to "pump up" the donuts, the company said, he remembered the indulgent chocolate icing and worked to find a similar recipe.
The son of the Wohlleb's founder went to work for Bessear Co., which commercialized the icing from his dad's shop. Bessear was purchased by Dawn Foods in the 1980s. The professionals at Dawn recognized the winning chocolate icing recipe and kept it in their recipe files.
Hermes approached 7-Eleven's bakery partners, including Dawn, across the country, about creating a richer, more decadent chocolate icing for its donuts. The first round of icing entries numbered in the hundreds. Dawn's entries included the Wohlleb Bakery recipe, created so many years ago. Dozens of taste tests resulted in the selection of the winning icing.
Hermes (pictured) wasn't the only one who thought the Wohlleb's chocolate icing was the clear favorite, said the company. Third-party bakery partners who produce 7-Eleven's delivered-fresh-daily products recognized it as the winner. Although critically important, flavor is just one measure of a successful recipe. Mouth-feel or texture, melting point and appearance are also taken into account. The Wohlleb recipe consistently rose to the top and, ultimately, was chosen to coat the millions of donuts sold at 7-Eleven stores.
"This is a pre-eminent chocolate icing and is one of Dawn's premium products," Hermes said. "We tweaked the recipe a little to make it smoother, but the taste is just as delicious as I remember it from the local bakery."
7-Eleven, Dallas, operates, franchises or licenses more than 8,100 7-Eleven stores in North America. Globally, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses approximately 37,500 stores in 16 countries. During 2008, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales of more than $53.7 billion.
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