Japanese-Style Food Items Come to US 7-Elevens
7-Eleven is the world's largest convenience store franchise, with more than 84,000 stores across 20 countries.
And it's probably no surprise that those stores can offer very different things in each country!
The US stores are known for their hot dogs — or "weenies" — as well as their large "Big Gulp" cups and frozen "Slurpee" drinks. They're also known for selling gas for cars.
In Japan, 7-Elevens don't have Big Gulps or Slurpees — or gas. Instead, they're known for food items like egg salad sandwiches, onigiri rice balls, karaage fried chicken and nikuman pork buns.
And now America's 7-Elevens are getting a little inspiration from Japan, as the US stores look to make more money from food sales.
While the company got its start in America in 1927, 7-Eleven has been completely Japanese owned since 2005. And part of the secret to 7-Eleven Japan's success has been the way its stores are able to offer different products to match people's tastes in different parts of the country.
It's also able to ship fresh products to stores several times a day, while US 7-Elevens used to only get new products twice a week. But US stores are now getting closer to the Japanese system, with stores ordering new products daily, and with more focus on local tastes.
Now America's 7-Eleven has partnered with Warabeya Nichiyo Group, which makes the fresher food items sold at stores in Japan. And the US company has told Business Insider that it's working with its Japanese partners to offer new food items in US stores — like miso ramen and chicken teriyaki rice balls.
7-Eleven told Today.com these items are already available at some stores across the US. And TikTokers in California say they've also spotted another popular Japanese product on local 7-Eleven shelves: egg salad sandwiches.
