SPRINGFIELD, Pa. -- Drive-thru convenience store retailer Swiss Farm Stores has partnered with Ristorante Primavera, a Wayne, Pa., restaurant, to offer microwavable pasta entr aes at each of its 10 locations, reported The Delaware County Times.
Chef Umberto Esposti prepares dishes daily, and they are refrigerated and delivered to Swiss Farms stores, said the report.
The selection of entr aes, sold for $5.99 each, include Lasagna Bolognese, Ricotta-filled Ravioli, Penne with meatballs in a red sauce, and Tortellini in Alfredo sauce.[image-nocss]
Customers can sample dishes through Thursday at the Springfield and Swarthmore stores and receive $1 off any entr ae, Evelyn DePietro, a sales and marketing employee with Swiss Farm Stores, Broomall, Pa., told the newspaper.
Along with the pasta dishes, Swiss Farm Stores are offering freshly made Italian bread from Morabito's Bakery, Norristown, Pa., for $1.69.
The entr aes were first rolled out September 26 at the Swiss Farm Store in Broomall, and have since been added to locations in Havertown, Sharon Hill and Folsom, the report said. The meals will help the retailer keep up with larger chains such as Wawa and 7-Eleven, which both offer hot and cold foods, according to the report.
DePietro said stores have sold about 200 dinners each week, adding about $1,200 in sales. "We have people that call ahead to reserve their dinners and drive through later on and pick them up," she said, adding that busy moms have welcomed the concept.
"The response has been fantastic," Damon DeProspero, assistant manager for the Broomall store, told the paper. "We definitely expected them to sell, but we didn't expect to sell as many as we have."
Swiss Farms stores in Drexel Hill, Upper Darby, Media and Brookhaven will add the entrees by October 31, DePietro said.
Esposti's restaurant has been featured in Best of Philly magazine and the Philadelphia Inquirer for its cuisine, the report said.
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