Convenience store giant 7-Eleven Inc., Dallas, has been testing sales of whole roasted chicken at some downtown Chicago stores this week, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Carole Davidson, senior vice president of strategic planning, told the paper, "It's to see if we can capitalize on home meal replacement."

The Sun-Times said the $7.99 birds join pasta dishes, including rigatoni with Alfredo sauce and peas and four-cheese ravioli with marinara sauce, in the stores' refrigerated sections.

The trial follows 7-Eleven's recent introduction of chicken wings and pizza in hot food cases, and similar items (self-rising crust pizza, mozzarella sticks, buffalo chicken wings and cream cheese jalapenos) within its 7 Select line in the frozen-food section, and the likes of grilled chicken with cheese and tortellini and sun-dried tomatoes in refrigerated sections.