7-Eleven To Open 3 Downtown Locations This Year

**401don** · February-28-13, 03:31 PM

According to Crain's 7-Eleven will open 3 locations downtown between summer and the end of the year. Locations are being scouted around the Ren Cen and Comerica Park.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...roit-this-year

**Django** · February-28-13, 03:45 PM

The couple of times I spent in Bangkok I LOVED the 7-11s. Its was like stepping out of the heat and smell of a 3rd world country into the familiar air conditioned civilized world I know with the smell of nachos and old hotdogs. Id grab a slushie enjoy the cool air and sit back on one of the green bench seats and forget for a second about having to squat over a hole in the ground or wonder what the hell kind of deep fried animal I was eating on a stick at a food stall on the street. It was a vacation away from my vacation. Just a little observation /story. Ill never dis 7-11 again. They were all over the place in Thailand too, even up in the hills in the Golden Triangle. Those slushies kept me sane. I doubt Ill be rushing down to the Ren Cen for a hot dog though.

**drjeff** · February-28-13, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by Django

The couple of times I spent in Bangkok I LOVED the 7-11s. Its was like stepping out of the heat and smell of a 3rd world country into the familiar air conditioned civilized world I know with the smell of nachos and old hotdogs. Id grab a slushie enjoy the cool air and sit back on one of the green bench seats and forget for a second about having to squat over a hole in the ground or wonder what the hell kind of deep fried animal I was eating on a stick at a food stall on the street. It was a vacation away from my vacation. Just a little observation /story. Ill never dis 7-11 again. They were all over the place in Thailand too, even up in the hills in the Golden Triangle. Those slushies kept me sane. I doubt Ill be rushing down to the Ren Cen for a hot dog though.

They are also everywhere in Tokyo, as in literally on every corner. It's kind of astounding.

**Hypestyles** · February-28-13, 04:29 PM

are there any diet flavors of slurpees?

**rb336** · February-28-13, 04:51 PM

hmmmm...been a looooong time since I've been in a 7-11. I think they are owned by a japanese company now.

Remember Lawson's?

I don't think you can make a slurpee from diet, unless you add something to keep it from turning solid - sugar does that in most flavors

**detroitsgwenivere** · February-28-13, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

are there any diet flavors of slurpees?

Yes, there's a diet pepsi, and a crystal light slurpee.

I've bitched about 7-11 not doing business in Detroit for years, right up there with department stores and grocery stores, so I didnt spend money in them unless it was extremely convenient. I think I went about 4 years without patronizing 7-11, until i ran inside one in downtown Chicago on a 95 degree afternoon. It was a little pricey, but i walked out of there with a newspaper, some fruit, a juice, and some brain freeze for the boyfriend for under 7 bucks. When I got back to the hotel room that night, I sent them an e-mail about their decision to not open stores in Detroit. I even sent them a link to a commercial real estate firm that would walk them through available locations downtown. They replied back with a general response thanking me and explaining how their franchising works. Not a single word about Detroit, like they were afraid to put it in writing. That was a few years ago.

So if they are serious about opening stores in our city, i feel like it's a big deal, that if they are successful it will signal to other stores that downtown is open for business. Now if only they would bring Portillo's with them...

Shollin · February-28-13, 05:10 PM

Wow someone actually emailed 7-11 asking them why they weren't in Detroit and provided commercial properties for sale?

Why do people think companies have some vandetta against Detroit? They're businesses. If there was money to make they would be there.

**Hypestyles** · February-28-13, 06:13 PM

Originally Posted by detroitsgwenivere

Yes, there's a diet pepsi, and a crystal light slurpee.

Now if only they would bring Portillo's with them...

ah.. Portillo's, I wish there was one in detroit/metro.. love the hot beef sandwiches..

**Ray1936** · February-28-13, 06:27 PM

As a true coffe lover, I can positively say that coffee at 7-11 is to die for.

**Jimaz** · February-28-13, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by drjeff

They are also everywhere in Tokyo, as in literally on every corner. It's kind of astounding.

I found this video about Japanese 7-11 stores. Apparently they're totally different than here and highly rated by the video producers.

Dinner from 7-11 in Japan

**detroitsgwenivere** · February-28-13, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by Shollin

Why do people think companies have some vandetta against Detroit? They're businesses. If there was money to make they would be there.

Why shouldnt someone promote the city's interests in regards to business development? Shoot, I've corresponded with hundreds of businesses over the years about a miriad of issues affecting Detroiters. It's kinda part of my job...

**DetroitPlanner** · February-28-13, 09:17 PM

Originally Posted by Shollin

Wow someone actually emailed 7-11 asking them why they weren't in Detroit and provided commercial properties for sale?

Why do people think companies have some vandetta against Detroit? They're businesses. If there was money to make they would be there.

I grew up in Franklin Park [[known to some of you as Cody). In the 1970's & 80's there were 7-11's all over the place. They were slowly bought up by Chaldeans who changed the stores from Chain stores to independant ones. Never thought much of it other than I would rather have locally owned stores over chain ones any day of the week.

**Casual** · February-28-13, 09:50 PM

Bullet proof glass?

**401don** · February-28-13, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by Casual

Bullet proof glass?

No I'm pretty sure they'll use the same plastic cups as the suburbs.

**Richard** · March-01-13, 12:46 AM

Originally Posted by Shollin

Wow someone actually emailed 7-11 asking them why they weren't in Detroit and provided commercial properties for sale?

Why do people think companies have some vandetta against Detroit? They're businesses. If there was money to make they would be there.

It is not Detroit ,when the leaders speak of white whore outsider investors , well that's really not a very welcoming venture.

7-11 some are corp owned some are franchised , owned by south land corp and pretty much on every corner in the south as a more per say upscale convience store , If you have a complaint with them they will answer emails and resolve issues , they actually care about thier coustmers ,excellent corp.

Thier coffee is also high on my list and after they dropped Citco like a rock I frequent them often.

You guys need to quit being so hard on yourselves sometimes get a good mayor and cc in place and you will see lots of doors open as you have a lot to offer as a city as bad as it seems now.

**Richard** · March-01-13, 12:52 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

No I'm pretty sure they'll use the same plastic cups as the suburbs.

Now that was hilarious .

**313WX** · March-01-13, 01:17 AM

The million dollar question is will thse locations be open 24 hours?

Downtown's dead after the 9-5 worKday [[not to say that it's a bustling metropolis in the day time).

**detroitbob** · March-01-13, 03:35 AM

Nationally, 7-11 is going into urban centers big time. There was a mention, I believe in NYTimes a while back that many bodega's and neighborhood stores are being forced out of long time locations when the leases come due as 7-11 is willing to pay almost anything for new locations.

**stasu1213** · March-01-13, 05:52 AM

This is good. I will be jumping for joy when I hear that more retail such as clothing stores will open downtown. RenCen need to get more retail stores so it could be a destinatination and a more lively tourist attraction. I hope that the Emergency Manager or the next mayor would provide more police protection downtown and remove the bus stops from Merchant's Row and place them on other streets in the area. Dave Bing had done a lousy job in providing protection to the downtown area making downtown a retail desert with the exception of a few trendy stores

**Honky Tonk** · March-01-13, 07:38 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

No I'm pretty sure they'll use the same plastic cups as the suburbs.

Beauty! +5

**leapfrog** · March-01-13, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

No I'm pretty sure they'll use the same plastic cups as the suburbs.

So that's a yes to the bullet proof glass question, then?

**daveyarm** · March-01-13, 01:27 PM

I say: stay away 7-Eleven! When you abandoned our city over the years, many small, independent, locally owned stores opened to fill the gap. They may not be as big or as diverse as 7-Eleven, but they are serving our city just fine. So now that Downtown and Midtown have revived with thousands of new and upscale residents, 7-Eleven wants to move back in. Again, I say: stay away!

**Spartan** · March-01-13, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by daveyarm

They may not be as big or as diverse as 7-Eleven, but they are serving our city just fine.

No they're not...

**Det_ard** · March-01-13, 02:01 PM

News Flash: Most 7-11s are franchisee-owned stores. Southland Corp, the parent company and franchisor of 7-11 is looking to sell off virtually all corporate-owned stores in the next few years. Chances are very good that any 7-11 you walk into today or in the future is owned by a local entrepreneur.

Which brings up a pet peeve of mine. People bitch that 7-11 isn't in the city. Same people could themselves set up a 7-11 in the city. Instead they complain that someone, be it corporate or franchisee, hasn't done it. You need roughly $100K - $150K cash to open a 7-11. Obviously many don't have this but rather than bitch about the lack of a 7-11, figure out a way to get one going, or open up an independent convenience store and run it however you like. The complainers can just suck on a Slurpee.

**Krawlspace** · March-01-13, 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by Det_ard

Which brings up a pet peeve of mine. People bitch that 7-11 isn't in the city. Same people could themselves set up a 7-11 in the city.

Not really.... I was good friends with a Southland "Reset" Manager. He was the guy in charge of seizing a poorly performing franchise store and flipping it to corporate. According to him Southland policy for all stores, corporate and franchised, was that a store would close before bulletproof glass would be installed. This was policy going through the late 1990's at least. The last two stores in the city were Morang a few blocks west of Cadieux, and E. Warren at University. The Morang store closed first around 1996 and the Warren store closed around 1999 or 2000. It would seem this policy may have changed if they are pushing into urban areas. I guess we'll have to see if glass appears downtown or not.