YORK, Pa. -- It was a day like any other at Rutter's Farm Stores. Jerry Weiner, vice president of foodservice, had been trying to come up with just the right bologna for a fried bologna sandwich he wished to introduce. He was in the kitchen at one of the stores, when the thought struck him that bologna was very similar to hot dogs in taste and texture. He cut a hot dog into long strips, fried them, and realizing they curled up when fried, dubbed the creation a "Pigtail."

He said an in-store taste test got very favorable responses, and that the creation was "very user-friendly, easy to eat and tasty"—and is basically all protein. "I'm not going to say it's the healthiest food in the world, but it's not breaded," he told CSP Daily News.

The Pigtail will launch March 22, for a retail price of $1.29 per serving. One serving contains eight strips (the equivalent of two hot dogs), and is served with a side of ketchup, mustard or Dijon.

And although it isn't quite a fried bologna sandwich, it does fit on the sides menu on Rutter's electronic touchscreen, which Weiner has been trying to bulk up recently. "I've been working on different things for sides, because I think the sides menu is what will drive the afternoon and evening snack menu, and they've been very effective that way."

Rutter's will also be launching seasoned potato wedges and pork egg rolls to cater to that goal. The potato wedges will retail for $1.59 for a regular and $1.79 for a large, and joins the company's other potato offerings of French fries, a potato pancake and hash browns.

"I think there are people that favor the thicker potato option, and we'll just see," he said. Weiner had originally considered egg rolls as a natural complement to the stir-fry offering launched in 2008, but hadn't gotten around to it. "But the time is right, so I'm adding that to the side screen, and I think there are people that will buy an egg roll just as a side, as opposed to specifically for the stir fry."

The company is also adding sliced pork to both the dinner menu in a $5.95 dinner bowl, and for lunch as a $4.39 sandwich. Weiner is also replacing the brownie bite and bananas foster bites on the dessert menu, with a fried dumpling that comes in three flavors: apple, strawberry cheesecake and chocolate cream. The dumplings will be served in three 1-oz. servings per cup for $1.59. "So they're bite-sized and easy to eat while you're driving—and they come in a cup that fits in a cupholder, so they're very user friendly."

The new items will be offered at the 38 Rutter's locations that have fryers in place. As for the March 22 launch, Weiner said the company does all its foodservice launches on Tuesdays, and everything should be in place by that Tuesday. Tuesdays, he said, are on the slower end of the week, making it easier to get setup done and giving employees a chance to become comfortable with new products. He added, "By the end of the week, when we get our busiest, we're locked and loaded by then."

Family-owned and third-generation managed, York, Pa.-based Rutter's operates 54 convenience stores in Pennsylvania.