Kangaroo Express Brings a Chill to Gainesville, "Freeze The Swamp" Campaign Introduces ICEE Offering

Sept. 1, 2010 - PRLog -- GAINESVILLE, Fla., September 1, 2010 -- The Pantry, Inc. , the leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern United States, today announced its plans to rally behind University of Florida football fans in order to "Freeze The Swamp" – taking the age-old adage of "ice the kicker" to a whole new level. This campaign introduces ICEE® products to 92 Gainesville and Ocala area Kangaroo Express locations. Kangaroo Express is collaborating with The ICEE Company to co-promote the frozen beverages in concert with the University of Florida’s football season.

"The 'Freeze The Swamp' campaign is our way of saying 'thank you' to our Gainesville customers and University of Florida fans,” said John Fisher, senior vice president of marketing, The Pantry. "Gainesville has historically been The Pantry’s highest performing frozen market across our 11-state footprint making it an ideal location to work with ICEE to launch this program. "

The promotion will be introduced to the market on Wednesday September 1 with an employee rally at one of the flagship Kangaroo Express stores near campus. The rally will feature an appearance by Albert the gator and the ICEE bear.

The "Freeze the Swamp" promotion will begin with the University of Florida’s season opener against Miami University of Ohio on Sept. 4. Gator fans can cool off at Kangaroo Express' on-site Fan Fest booth while tailgating. The booth opens three hours before kickoff and features an ice bar with free ICEE samples of the new Gator Blue and Gator Orange ICEE flavors. During Gator home games, the stadium’s announcer and LED screens will encourage fans to stand up, cheer and "Freeze the Swamp" each time the opposing team attempts a field goal.

The two special Gator flavors will be available at each of the Gainesville-Ocala Kangaroo Express locations.  Any size ICEE is only 99 cents, including the 32-ounce "Freeze The Swamp" souvenir cup that features the University of Florida’s football schedule.

"Collaborating with Kangaroo Express is a great opportunity to expand our reach in the Gainesville area to both new customers trying our products for the first time and loyal customers looking for a more convenient location to purchase an ICEE," said Dan Fachner, president, The ICEE Company. "We look forward to helping Gator fans ‘Freeze The Swamp’ and engaging with the local community."

In addition to installing ICEE machines and new water filtration systems, ICEE will provide store-level training and marketing support to help promote the frozen category in each of the 92 Kangaroo Express locations.  The new machines will be serviced by The ICEE Company’s Orlando office to ensure that any service issues are resolved in a timely manner.

About The ICEE Company
ICEE is a subsidiary company of J&J Snack Foods Corp. and is a leader in the frozen beverage industry with over 40 years of market presence. ICEEs can be found in a variety of retail, convenience, and amusement locations. The home office for ICEE is located in Ontario, California. www.icee.com

About The Pantry
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 June 10, 2010, the Company operated 1,642 stores in eleven states under select banners, including Kangaroo Express(R), 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. www.thepantry.com