70's gas station - hot "fast" food sandwiches!!??

[Wile E Coyote]

Back in the 70's, my Dad owned a gas station.
I remember my Mom taking us there to visit my Dad and the big treat was "hot food sandwiches" made in some magical oven!
Some vendor (like Schwan's/Stewarts?? perhaps???? [memory poor]) supplied these "ovens" - maybe like toaster ovens? - and the frozen foods/ sandwiches - and you could "cook" them right there! I remember as a kid, these were awesome! Probably the "novelty" of it - more so than it was really good.
Does anyone remember this "vendor"? Foodline? Any pictures?? It would be cool to me to walk down memory lane with some photos of this oven-set-up in a gas station.
Thanks for listening/ reading!
Thanks in advance for your posts/ replies!
Ron

 

[Big_John]

I would stop at a gas station/convenience store owned by the Oneida Nation (one of the five nations of the Iroquois Confederacy ) on one of my regular runs back when I was still working. The Oneida tribe own a bunch of them... and the large casino called The Turning Stone. They've done very well too.

Anyway... I noticed amongst the usual fare of premade sandwiches and such, there was always sushi in the cooler. Gas station sushi... Yeah...

 

[C Sickness]

We worked on our outboards in the marina in N.J. all night long, till sunrise. Those Stewart Sandwiches were a 12 year old's definition of delicious!!!!! There were a bunch of different flavors.
And the magic oven, which must have just been a microwave. About the first microwave. The sandwiches were hot magically fast, and i don't recall a hot oven that could burn you.

I don't remember thinking it was the same Stewarts as the Root Beer Stand. The burger, fries, and huge heavy frosty mug of root beer on the tray that clipped to the car window. A treat also!!

 

[Wile E Coyote]

We worked on our outboards in the marina in N.J. all night long, till sunrise. Those Stewart Sandwiches were a 12 year old's definition of delicious!!!!! There were a bunch of different flavors.
And the magic oven, which must have just been a microwave. About the first microwave. The sandwiches were hot magically fast, and i don't recall a hot oven that could burn you.

I don't remember thinking it was the same Stewarts as the Root Beer Stand. The burger, fries, and huge heavy frosty mug of root beer on the tray that clipped to the car window. A treat also!!

So I'm not "losing it!" My memory IS serving me! Thank you C Sickness for your post, I appreciate it!!

 

[shooter65]

My brother worked at a Sunoco off the Saegertown, PA exit of I-79 in about 72 or 73 and I remember these also. I believe the "Magic Oven" was an Amana Radarange but I may be wrong. I remember the stupid crap they used to sell like smiley face plastic rings of all different colors. I worked at the same gas station in the late 80's but it was a very different place by then and no longer a Sunoco.

 

[3175375]

The Amana Radarange was one of the first microwave ovens, which has an interesting history here, by Percy Spencer.

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

My brother worked at a Sunoco off the Saegertown, PA exit of I-79 in about 72 or 73 and I remember these also. I believe the "Magic Oven" was an Amana Radarange but I may be wrong. I remember the stupid crap they used to sell like smiley face plastic rings of all different colors. I worked at the same gas station in the late 80's but it was a very different place by then and no longer a Sunoco.

View attachment 498948

That was my first thought also, that it was a Radarange. Those things weigh a TON and a HALF. I've got a nearly perfect one in the basement I've kept for years. Still works just fine.

 

[bronze turbine]

We used to have a small airport in our town and that is the first (and I think only) place I had the Stewart sandwiches that you heated in the chrome oven. I remember really liking them. This was probably around the late '70s.

 

[Slap Stick]

Landshire Sandwiches.
"Flush twice. It's a long way to the Landshire factory".
Famous for the "Nike" sandwich.
Used to be called Lakeshire Sandwiches.

 

[sarah.white]

During the 70s and earlier, it wasn't uncommon for gas stations and convenience stores to offer hot food options, especially items like sandwiches that could be quickly prepared and enjoyed by customers on the go. These setups typically included simple cooking appliances like toaster ovens or conveyor belt ovens. Vendors that supplied frozen foods and sandwiches for these setups might have included well-known brands like Schwan's or Stewart's.
Interestingly, some of these convenience store food options could even have included unique dishes like chicken and orange recipe. While sandwiches were a staple, certain setups might have ventured into more creative territory, offering customers a chance to try unconventional yet tasty combinations. These local and regional suppliers contributed to the culinary landscape, reflecting the diverse palates and preferences of different communities.

 

[alannguyen]

I agree. I think those were Stewart sandwiches and the oven must be some early microwaves.

 

[patrick66]

My wife and I got a used Amana RadarRange (built July 1976) when we got married in 1986, Big, heavy door! Lots of real metal and chrome! It was an imposing fixture in out itty-bitty kitchen. That machine lasted until 2002. Pretty impressive, in my mind.