The Untold Truth Of 7-Eleven

7-Eleven convenience store is your one-stop shop for Slurpees, snacks, six-packs, lotto tickets, midnight coffee runs, and so much more. You see them everywhere you go. It's the kind of place you rush into, grab your stuff, and get back on the road without giving it too much thought — the kind of place you probably take for granted. If you stopped to peruse the aisles though, you might be in for a few surprises — did you know they sell their own line of make-up? Or that you can pay your taxes there? There's actually a lot more to 7-Eleven than you probably thought — and it's a whole lot cooler than you likely give it credit for.

There's probably a lot more you don't know about the iconic convenience store, but all that's about to change... Here are all the 7-Eleven factoids you never knew you needed — but you totally did.

There's a reason it seems like you can find a 7-Eleven on every corner — with 60,000 stores in 18 countries around the globe, and 10,700 of those being in North America, you're bound to stumble upon one sooner or later (probably sooner). On top of that, astoundingly, another store gets added to their worldwide operations every three and a half hours. Pretty soon we'll all just have to walk next door for a Slurpee. 

Although they began operations in 1927, 7-Eleven's first television commercial didn't air until 1949 (eight years after the first ever television commercial). And boy, is it fantastic. After expounding the virtues of their curbside grocery delivery in the minute-long spot, you're treated to a rooster and owl duo performing a little rap about their products and hours, which, of course, at the time were 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Get it? A rooster because they're open early and an owl because they're open late... genius.)

Lucky(?) 7-Eleven customers at 800 stores in California's Bay Area, Portland, and Seattle, can now grab their coveted Soylent instead of a hot dog and a Big Gulp. Soylent, the meal replacement drink, has previously only been available online, so this is an exciting development for fans of the liquid lunch. Stores will carry Cacao, Cafe Coffiest, Cafe Vanilla, and Cafe Chai flavors. While it might take away the temptation of the coffee bar, good luck walking past the nachos and the doughnuts.

A person claiming to be a former 7-Eleven employee took to Reddit to answer everyone's burning questions about the convenience store, and, of course, someone was quick to ask about the worst foods. Sadly, it's the pizza. The Redditor explained, "...the nastiest thing to eat is definitely the pizza by the slice. We're told that they should only stay in the heat box for an hour, but encouraged to keep them for almost 4. The end of their life, it's eating cardboard." Maybe this would be a good time to try Soylent?

Redditors can warn against the pizza all they want, but it doesn't seem to be stopping people from scooping up the pies. 7-Eleven is the second largest whole-pizza retailer in the U.S., with only Pizza Hut beating them out. And just how many pizzas are sold to obtain that number two ranking? About 20 million a year!

You might not think "7-Eleven" when you think "vegan," but vegans definitely won't go hungry if it's their only option. From snacks like cookies, chips, and candy, to more substantial bites like protein bars, hummus, sandwich wraps, and even entrees from Amy's Kitchen, there's plenty to eat. And, yes, even the Slurpees are http://www.thelist.com/34509/f...vegan, which might be the best news of all.

Prior to the release of the 2007 movie, a dozen 7-Eleven stores temporarily became Kwik-E-Marts by morphing into the Simpson family's fictional neighborhood convenience store, even selling standard Springfield fare like KrustyO's cereal and Buzz cola. But Homer's favorite Duff beer was never in play when it came to the real life masses — Rita Bargerhuff, a 7-Eleven marketing executive, told Fox News that selling a Simpson-themed beer "didn't seem to fit" because they wanted to ensure the marketing ploy was "considered good, responsible fun." Seems a bit odd given that you can buy other beer from select 7-Eleven stores, no?

... the low price of the grab-and-go rolls just might be indicative of the quality. Yoya Takahashi, a veteran sushi chef, taste tested several kinds of cheap sushi, including 7-Eleven's. The bad news is it was awarded only one star due to the mushy rice and overpowering avocado flavor, but the good news is it's not the worst out there —  Trader Joe's sushi got a "minus zero star" rating.

One of the greatest marketing ideas ever: 7-Eleven's Bring Your Own Cup Day. The day varies year to year, so keep an eye out for this awesome promotion where you can fill just about any vessel (the only rule is it must fit upright within a 10-inch hole) with the Slurpee of your choice for $1.50. Customers get amazingly creative, and just perusing the Instagram hashtag on #BYOCupDay is entertainment enough. Slurpee in a bundt pan, anyone?

Maybe you're looking for something with a little more real fruit than a Slurpee? You're in luck, because 7-Eleven has added cold-pressed juices to their line-up of products. These shelf-stable juices are organic, non-GMO, vegan, fair trade, gluten-free, and come in four unique flavors that are apparently going to blow us all away, according to Tim Cogil, director of new product development for 7-Eleven. He told Food Business News, "When you compare this new line of 7-Select GO!Smart cold-pressed juices head-to-head with nationally recognized premium juice brands, well, there is no comparison. Ours are organic and cold-pressed, without additives and not from concentrate. Typically, this level of quality is only found at juice and smoothie restaurants." They're worth a try, and you've always got the Big Gulp to fall back on if all else fails.

When you consider the number of people that visit a 7-Eleven every day, you have to assume that a staggering number of Slurpee and coffee cups end up in the trash. As a response to that problem, stores in Australia are rolling out a recycling program that they hope will keep at least 70 million cups a year from the landfill. The solution is simple: Bins located outside 200 stores will collect the the paper cups, which because of their waterproof lining, can't be processed at standard recycling facilities. The lining will then be removed and the cups will be sent on to be recycled with the rest of the paper. A simple way for you to do your part? Skip the cup altogether and fill up a reusable mug instead.

In the states, every time you fill up at a participating 7-Eleven gas station, their RENEW program "plants trees in our communities and invests in carbon reduction projects such as reforestation, solar power, wind power, and more to reduce your tailpipe emissions up to 30 percent." Their motto? "Pump Here. Plant Trees." Easy enough. 

So you have a false eyelash emergency and you're nowhere near a Sephora or even a CVS, but, as we've already established, you're probably near a 7-Eleven. What good does that do you, you ask? Newsflash: 7-Eleven now has their very own cosmetics brand, and every item is under $5. The line, called Simply Me Beauty, has it all — concealer, highlighter, lipsticks, mascara, blush, and yes, even false eyelashes. It's in select stores for now, but will eventually be rolling out nationwide.

The Slurpee is arguably the best thing about 7-Eleven, so it's not a huge surprise that a lot of them get consumed on a daily basis. Check out these Slurpee stats:

• 14 million are sold each month.
• 7.2 billion have been sold since their introduction in 1966.
• Michiganders really like them — eight of the top 10 Slurpee selling stores in the company are located in Michigan, and stores in the Detroit area sell three-and-a-half times more per day than the average store in the U.S.

As we learned from the 7-Eleven commercial, the company once did your shopping for you while you sat and waited in the car for curbside delivery. Fast forward 70 years, and curbside might be out, but both order ahead and delivery are in. They're testing the service, called 7NOW, in Dallas area stores, with expansion to more locations planned. Customers can download an app where they can do all their shopping, then select pick-up or delivery. Easy peasy, right? Just imagine all the drunken 7-Eleven delivery orders to come... nachos never sound so good as they do after a few cocktails.

Because the IRS wants to make it as easy as possible for everyone to fork over their hard-earned money, it's now possible for people to pay their taxes at 7-Eleven. The service is geared towards those without bank accounts or credit cards who need to make their payment in cash. At least you can drown your sorrows in taquitos and questionable sushi while you're there.

If you wanted a serious caffeine boost, would you grab a coffee from Starbucks, 7-Eleven, Dunkin' Donuts, or McDonald's? It turns out 7-Eleven's is the highest octane you can slurp. According to Buzzfeed, who had each coffee lab-tested, "The convenience store chain beat out its competitors, having the highest average caffeine level among the two dozen medium cups of brewed coffee we tested from outlets in New York and San Francisco." Keep that in mind next time the afternoon slump hits.

From December 23, 2017 to January 3, 2018, an estimated 2000 customers shopping at a West Jordan, Utah 7-Eleven store were exposed to hepatitis A. According to the Salt Lake County Health Department, "The possible hepatitis A exposure occurred when an infected employee worked while ill and potentially handled certain items in the store." They warned that customers who used the restroom or consumed fresh fruit, foods from the hot case, or self-serve beverages were at risk. CNN reported that more than 250 people had been referred by the health department to get a preventative injection, and hopefully that number didn't rise.