Kangaroo Express Launches New Bakery Case on National Pastry Day

New bakery items in Triangle stores include glazed donuts, muffins, Danishes and jumbo cookies

Cary, N.C., Dec. 7, 2011 – The Pantry, Inc. (Nasdaq: PTRY), the leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern United States, today announced it is celebrating National Pastry Day on Dec. 9 with the official launch of new bakery options in Raleigh as part of its “Fresh Initiative.”

The new bakery case at Kangaroo Express stores features glazed donuts, which are almost 40 percent larger than other well-known brands, blueberry and banana nut muffins, cheese Danishes, and the very popular jumbo chocolate chunk and oatmeal raisin cookies. The bakery offering will include seasonal treats, such as a pumpkin muffin and maple long john for the fall, and red velvet muffins and donuts with holiday sprinkles for the winter. Each goes perfectly with a cup of Bean Street Coffee. In fact, as part of the Fresh Initiative program, guests can purchase a donut for 49 cents with any size coffee.

In honor of National Pastry Day, Kangaroo Express will provide free samples of its new bakery line and Bean Street Coffee to customers at its 4302 Wake Forest Road store in Raleigh from 7 to 11 a.m. Customers will also receive a buy one, get one free coupon for any pastry item.

National Pastry Day is a fun day created to encourage the enjoyment and celebration of your favorite pastries. In light of the holiday, here are some interesting facts about pastries:

• The origin of the pastry has been traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans with filo-style pastries, but the modern development in the Western world dates from the late 18th century. (Source: “pastry.” The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press., 2011.)

• The cupcake was originally called a “number cake,” a mnemonic device to remember the ingredients: one cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour, four eggs, one cup of milk and one spoonful of soda. These were cooked in actual cups, allowing for more even baking than large cakes in the ovens. (McKinlay, Jenn. "The History of Cupcakes." Mystery Lover's Kitchen. 7/22/09. 12/06/11.http://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/2009/07/history-of-cupcakes.html.)

• The first cookbook mentioning donuts was an 1803 English volume, which included donuts in an appendix of American recipes. (Source: Mullins, Paul R. Glazed America: A History of the Doughnut. University Press of Florida, 2008.)

• The World Pastry Team Championship is held each odd number year and features teams from around the world competing for the esteemed title to be the best at their art. The last time Team USA won was in 2008 and included Laurent Branlard, executive pastry chef for the Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin Hotel. (Source: World Pastry Team Championship. 2011. 12/06/11 www.pastrychampionship.com)

About The Pantry and Kangaroo Express

Headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, The Pantry, Inc. is the leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern United States and one of the largest independently operated convenience store chains in the country. As of August 8, 2011, the Company operated 1,655 stores in thirteen states under select banners, including Kangaroo Express®, its primary operating banner. The Pantry's stores offer a broad selection of merchandise, as well as gasoline and other ancillary services designed to appeal to the convenience needs of its customers.

Media Contact
Kelly Hubbard
Largemouth Communications (on behalf of Kangaroo Express)
1007 Slater Road, Suite 150
Durham, NC 27703
(919) 459-6453
kelly@largemouthpr.com

This release was published on openPR.