The creator of the Big Gulp is downsizing nationwide.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Longtime convenience store brand 7-Eleven is closing hundreds of stores as it prepares for a company revamp.
Eager to keep up with competitors Wawa, Buc-ee's and Sheetz, which double as gas stations and restaurants, 7-Eleven is looking to expand its remaining stores to offer more meal options.
"These food-forward stores are resonating with our customers and driving [average sales per store day] about 18% higher than our system average," 7-Eleven President Stan Reynolds said in the company's fiscal Q4 earnings call.
"We'll continue learning from these stores and refine our new store standard to meet the needs of consumers both now and in the future."
7-Eleven Has Been in Business for Nearly 100 Years
7-Eleven began in 1927 as an ice dock storefront in Dallas, Texas, selling basic groceries. Originally named "Tote'm Stores," it was rebranded to 7-Eleven in 1946 to highlight operating hours of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
As of April 2026, 7-Eleven operates over 86,000 locations across 19 countries, with around 13,000 in North America.
Now, after nearly 100 years of business, 7-Eleven is adding more grub to its product lineup and scrapping underperforming locations.
As previously reported by The Post, 7-Eleven has already closed more than 600 stores across 2024 and 2025 combined, including nearly 450 locations in North America alone. This will mark the fifth year in a row that they closed more stores than they opened.
With cigarette sales -- once a massive boon for the convenience store chain -- tanking over the years, the company is searching for a new revenue source.
After upgrading its remaining stores, 7-Eleven plans to go public, as reported by Convenience Store Dive.
Seven & I Holdings, the Japanese owner of 7-Eleven, said that it will delay a planned initial public offering of its North American business until next year, according to Restaurant Business sister publication CSP Daily News.
With soaring gas prices and inflation, Seven & I Holdings prefers to let the economy stabilize a bit before taking it public.
