Sheetz reverses decision to drop WV-made pepperoni rolls (after all, the rolls originated in WV) [View all]
Charleston Gazette-Mail
Roll reversal: Sheetz has change of heart on WV-made products
Convenience store chain Sheetz has reversed an earlier decision to drop West Virginia pepperoni roll bakeries for an out-of-state provider, following intense public outcry from customers in the state.
“We are committed to having a West Virginia company provide West Virginia pepperoni rolls in all of our West Virginia stores,” said Ryan Sheetz, a member of the Sheetz family executive leadership. “Our customers told us loud and clear that it is important to them to have those rolls provided and baked by a West Virginia company. I couldn’t be happier to have that feedback and we are committed to executing upon it.”
Steve Rogers, co-owner of Rogers and Mazza bakery in Clarksburg, said earlier this week that Sheetz informed him Friday it would no longer carry his pepperoni rolls, and was opting instead for an unnamed out-of-state bakery.
He said he was blindsided by the decision and worried he would have to lay off some of his 33 employees. Rogers and Mazza currently has distribution to 117 Sheetz stores in three states.
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Ryan Sheetz said his family’s company still wants the products it offers in stores to be consistent. Therefore, company executives are meeting with the owners of three state bakeries — Abruzzino’s, Home Industry and Rogers and Mazza — to determine which can become the sole provider for in-state stores.
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The pepperoni roll was born in north-central West Virginia in the early 20th Century. Italian coal miners in the Clarksburg area discovered they made delicious, shelf-stable snacks that could be taken underground and eaten later. It has become a symbol of state pride over the years and was nearly named the official state food in 2014.
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http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20150730/GZ01/150739964/1453
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