I. COPYRIGHT NOTICE AND AUTHORIZATION

&null;0001&null; This patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection.

&null;0002&null; &null; Copyright 2003. Chevron U.S.A. Inc. All rights reserved.

&null;0003&null; With respect to this material which is subject to copyright protection. The owner, Chevron U.S.A. Inc., has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any one of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records of any country, but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever.

II. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

&null;0004&null; This invention relates to system and method of food retail marketing.

III. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

&null;0005&null; Stores marketing ready-to-eat take out foods face many challenges. A key challenge is to market the foods most in demand to the customers at the right times of the day. The foods in demand will change in the course of the day, e.g., breakfast foods in the morning and lunch foods in the midday. Retailers are constantly looking for new merchandising solutions that result in increased sales and that highlight their product mix. Existing apparatus and methods for easily and efficiently accomplishing this marketing goal are insufficient.

&null;0006&null; Traditional/existing solutions include standard countertops/merchandising equipment or displays that have minimal flexibility and are primarily unmovable. The traditional solutions are inadequate due to operational inflexibility and the need to continually showcase products to consumers. Our invention satisfies these shortcomings.

&null;0007&null; The invention was developed in order to increase sales and provide a point of difference relative to other retailers in the ready-to-eat food business. The invention provides a method and apparatus for easy preparation of food and a minimal amount of operational time to change out equipment and products. It also showcases items during the various times of the day. Key items are always facing customers as they enter the premises since the counter can be turned to highlight those items that consumers are more likely to purchase during the various day-parts.

&null;0008&null; Accordingly, there is a need for a new marketing method which overcomes the above-described deficiencies. The method and system of the invention described herein provides such a solution.

IV. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

&null;0009&null; The invention includes a method of marketing food items in a retail store, the method including displaying breakfast and lunch foods on a counter, where the counter is configured to be rotatable in the horizontal plane. During a period of hours of a day when breakfast foods are in demand by customers, positioning the counter such that breakfast foods are most proximate to an entrance to the retail store and lunch foods are least proximate to the entrance to the retail store. At about the end of the period of hours of the day when breakfast foods are in demand by customers, rotating the counter about 180 degrees in the horizontal plane such that the lunch foods are positioned most proximate to the entrance to the retail store and breakfast foods are positioned least proximate to the entrance to the retail store.

&null;0010&null; In another embodiment the invention includes a method of marketing ready-to-eat take out food items, the method including displaying at least 2 food groups on a counter, where each food group contains foods in demand during different parts of a day, e.g., breakfast, lunch, and dinner food groups, wherein said counter is configured to be rotatable in the horizontal plane. Periodically rotating the counter, where during the part of a day when a food group is in demand, that food group is positioned, relative to the other food groups on the counter, in a position more visible and accessible to customers.

&null;0011&null; In another embodiment the invention includes a display system for marketing food items in a retail store, the display system including a horizontal countertop for supporting food items and having an area sufficient for supporting both breakfast and lunch food items and including a base for supporting the countertop at a height sufficient for convenient access to the food items by a customer. The countertop is pivotally mounted to a top portion of the base and is configured for pivoting in the horizontal plane.

&null;0012&null; In another embodiment the invention includes a display system for marketing ready-to-eat, take out food items, the display system including a horizontal countertop for supporting at least 2 food groups, where each food group contains foods in demand during different parts of a day. It also includes a base for supporting the countertop at a height sufficient for convenient access to the food items by a customer. The countertop is rotatably mounted to a top portion of the base and is configured for rotating in the horizontal plane.

&null;0013&null; These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be made more apparent through a consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention. In the course of this description, frequent reference will be made to the attached drawings.

V. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

&null;0014&null; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram depicting an exploded side view of one embodiment of the invention.

&null;0015&null; FIG. 2 is the same view as FIG. 1 without the exploded aspect.

&null;0016&null; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram depicting an exploded side view of an alternate embodiment of the invention.

&null;0017&null; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram depicting an exploded side view of another alternate embodiment of the invention.

&null;0018&null; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram depicting the same embodiment depicted in FIG. 2 but in a combination embodiment of 2 adjacent apparatus of the invention.

&null;0019&null; FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the same embodiment of FIG. 5 but with each rotating counter on opposing sides of a non-rotating counter.

&null;0020&null; FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a top view of an alternate configuration as in FIG. 5 of 2 rotating counters, each on opposing sides of a non-rotating counter.

VI. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

&null;0021&null; A. The Display System

&null;0022&null; The invention includes a display system for marketing food items in a retail store.

&null;0023&null; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram depicting an exploded side view of one embodiment of the invention. Base 40 rests optionally on a floor. It has bottom portion 35 and top portion 10. Top portion 10 is preferably at a height sufficient for convenient access to the food items by a customer. A rotating mechanism 15 such as two rotatable plates having ball bearings sandwiched in between is attached to base top portion 10. Other mechanisms for providing a rotating counter top are within the scope of the invention.

&null;0024&null; Substantially horizontal counter top 5 is attached to rotating mechanism 15 and configured to permit manual or motorized horizontal rotation of countertop 5 relative to fixed base 40. That is, counter top 5 is pivotally mounted to a top portion 10 of the base 40 and is configured for pivoting in the horizontal plane.

&null;0025&null; Counter top 5 has sufficient area for supporting food items of at least 2 food groups where each food group contains foods in demand during different parts of a day. Preferably counter top 5 has an area sufficient for supporting both breakfast and lunch food. The diameter and area of counter top 5 is optional substantially equal to or greater than or less than the diameter or area of top portion 10 of base 40. One or more notches 20 in counter top 5 and notches 30 top portion 10 of base 40 are configured to receive locking bar 25 which is optionally attached to counter top 20 or base 40. Other conventional locking mechanisms are within the scope of the invention. These include a pin or dowel which slides into aligned holes drilled in countertop 5 and top portion 10 of base 40.

&null;0026&null; FIG. 2 is the same view as FIG. 1 without the exploded aspect. Counter top 5 is resting on top portion 10 of base 40.

&null;0027&null; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram depicting an exploded side view of an alternate embodiment of the invention. Base 50 has a bottom plate portion 45, substantially vertical pedestal portion 47, and top portion 57. Other pedestal embodiments are within the scope of the invention, e.g., cone-shaped or angled from bottom plate portion 45 to top portion 10. A bottom portion of rotating mechanism 15 is attached to top portion 57 of base 50. Counter top 5 is attached to an upper portion of rotating mechanism 15.

&null;0028&null; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram depicting an exploded side view of another alternate embodiment of the invention. Rotating mechanism 75 rests on floor 55 (shown for depicting one environment of employing the invention and not an element of the invention). Base 75 has a bottom portion 65 resting on an upper portion of rotating mechanism 75. Food items may be placed on top portion 60.

&null;0029&null; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram depicting the same embodiment depicted in FIG. 2 but in a combination embodiment of 2 adjacent apparatus of the invention. Two or more display systems are adjacent, optionally abutting.

&null;0030&null; FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the same embodiment of FIG. 5 but with each rotating counter 80 on opposing sides of a non-rotating counter 80. The non-rotating counter 80 may be used to display food, condiment, napkins, flatware, or other items where demand is not sensitive to the time of day. Divider 85 is attached to a middle portion of top portion 5 of one or more display systems for dividing the placement locations for different food groups on the counter top 5.

&null;0031&null; FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a top view of an alternate configuration as in FIG. 5 of 2 rotating counters, each on opposing sides of a non-rotating counter 90.

&null;0032&null; B. The Marketing Method

&null;0033&null; The invention includes a method of marketing food items in a retail store, the method including displaying two or more food groups, where each food group contains foods in demand during different parts of a day, e.g., breakfast and lunch foods on a counter. The counter is configured to be rotatable or pivotable in the horizontal plane. During a period of hours of a day when breakfast foods are in demand by customers, a store clerk or operator, manually, or via electric motor or other automated means, positions the counter such that breakfast foods are most proximate to an entrance to the retail store and lunch foods are least proximate to the entrance to the retail store.

&null;0034&null; Optionally, the positioning is not most proximate to an entrance but is otherwise a preferred positioning in that it is a position which provides enhanced visibility and accessibility to customers, e.g., positioned towards the place customers would wait in line while checking out. At about the end of the period of hours of the day when breakfast foods are in demand by customers, rotating the counter about 180 degrees in the horizontal plane such that the lunch foods are positioned most proximate to the entrance to the retail store and breakfast foods are positioned least proximate to the entrance to the retail store. Particular periods of the day for which particular food groups will be in demand will vary widely by region, season, customer preferences, and other factors.

&null;0035&null; What has been described above includes examples of the present invention. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the present invention, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the present invention are possible. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term &null;includes&null; is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term &null;comprising&null; as that term is interpreted as a transitional word in a claim.