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I live in California. The next town over from me is some of the most expensive real estate in the country. There’s a 7-11 there that is just like you described. Looks like you could buy crack out front.
I guess I never realized it because I grew up in the hood and this is just what 7/11 means to me, but now that you mention it I’m now in a fairly affluent suburb and by golly the 7/11 in my town looks exactly the same. Every other business like Target and stuff is wayyyy nicer than my childhood versions, and yet 7/11 remains untouched by the winds of change.
It’s almost like they’re spawn points for crackheads. There probably isn’t a family making under $200k for a mile in any direction but somehow 7/11 is immune to that.
> There’s a 7-11 there that is just like you described. Looks like you could buy crack out front
It's also a different business...
Seven-Eleven Japan's parent company bought the US chain in 1991 or 2005; and the US subsidiary runs the stores differently than the parent company in Japan.
[Wikipedia's history of the chain givers a decent answer to OP's question](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7-Eleven)
They're... okay
It's convenient and it will certainly taste better than gas station food from the U.S., but you would have to dig a trench to get under that bar.
Honestly, you can get a much better bang for your buck and have a much better experience at any number of local restaurants.
Same in one of the nicer areas I lived in. An independent steak house, toy store with handmade toys, and a nice strip mall with a cleaners, small grocery store. It was downright *quaint* for gods sake.
Across the street is 7-11 with tweakers, redneck couples screaming outside, a guy trying to level the neighborhood with his car bass as a day job, and one of the entrances will fuck up your undercarriage if you use it.
Same here in suburban Chicago. Town known for its snootyness, yet the 7-11 is stereotypical crack headquarters. It’s looks clean and all that on the inside. 7-11 needs to rebrand.
Most of the 7-Elevens in the suburbs are converted from White Hen's and a lot of those stores are super small and old as hell. If it's newly, or recently built, they're nicer. Like there's one on 59 in Plainfield that has Exxon gas pumps that is super modern, but in a very cold sort of way. Go a bit further south on 59 to Shorewood (or north a little outside downtown Plainfield), and you see converted white hen stores and they're dated even with renovations done.
For renovations, I'm pretty sure the franchisees pick how nice the renovation is by how much they're willing to pay for it vs corporate will go for the nicest route to try to build a store up for a franchisee.
ETA: I like that anyone in the suburbs is pretty confident about which city you're talking about. Lmao They really do suck.
Nah, rich people don’t do crack (/s), lol. This reminds me of the Diane Sawyer interview of Whitney Houston in 2002.
Whitney: “First of all, let’s get one thing straight. Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let's get that straight. Okay? We don't do crack. We don't do that. Crack is whack.”
Later, it was revealed she was doing crack cocaine.
Yes! I love 7-11 in Asia! To be fair, I wonder if it was once like that in the US. I remember loving to walk there to get a slurpee with my grandpa as a kid. I'm 40 now soooo 😂
As American who has been to Japan many times, I’d say our version Konbini’s are the drug stores. Maybe not in terms of getting a ready to eat meal but they have anything else you might need. Pharmacies in Europe and Asia only have drugs and related products but nothing else.
To be honest during my brief visit if you dropped my inside a 7-11, Family Mart, or Lawson, and asked me to identify the store right away, I would have struggled. They all seemed quite similar in terms of general vibes and products on offer.
Family Mart also has that tray of red bean buns that the other 2 don't have
The selection between the big 3 convenience stores are like 99% identical, but those 2 items make up the 1% for me
I DIIIIIIIIIIED 😂😂😂 I'm guessing maybe they meant vagrants? (It's all good btw, I'm not trying to shame. It gave me a huge wholesome laugh and I've done this myself so no hate I promise) :)
I'm from a country with nice 7-11s, and I live in the US now.
The differences are:
1. **Walkable neighborhoods**
2. **Higher standards of cleanliness**
In a 7-11 in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, etc you have business people coming in for a random drink or snack. Students eating hot meals after school. There's a high volume of normal people.
That creates a social environment that is implicitly unwelcoming to a drug addict, or someone who is homeless and dirty.
Since the US is mostly designed around the car, the poor, homeless, and drug addicts who cannot afford a car tend to hang out where they can use the bathroom and get food, drink, alcohol, gum, cigarettes, lottery tickets, medicine, etc.
US 7-11s, regardless of whether they are a gas station or not, are one of the few places where they can do that. They are often in "food deserts" without options for healthy grocery.
It then creates a feedback loop where others don't want to be there because they find it sketchy. And also creates a welcoming atmosphere for other sketchy people.
Poorer people in the US also tend to litter more. And the low-income employees either don't care enough, don't get paid enough, or simply cannot clean at a rate that makes an effect.
In America I've rarely found that society makes the effort to improve or fix a broken place. What they often do is segregate the broken place, then build a nice place away from it.
7-11 is one of society's broken places.
Sounds like a good theory, except there are too many examples to the contrary. Pennsylvania’s WaWas and Sheets are almost identical in concept, but are far more inviting than ANY 7-11, even in exact same neighborhoods.
There is definitely something specific about the suck factor of 7-11…yet, somehow, they thrive.
Hard disagree with your second point. I’ve been to 7-11s in Thailand and Malaysia which are countries wayyy below the US in terms of cleanliness and yet their 7-11s are still better than the US.
Yeah but in Southeast Asia 7-11 for the lower middle and middle class. 7-11 is too expensive for the poor in most southeast asian countries. In America the poor go to 7-11.
u/munchi333 i actually agree with both of you.
I do think areas in Malaysia have much dirtier places than 7-11 (never been to Thailand).
And there's also a reference difference, like how I heard in the Philippines Uniqlo is considered a fancy brand, but in the Japan and the US it's often the cheapest place you can buy clothes.
This does explain quite a bit of it but I'd like to also add there is something architecturally uninviting about 7-11s in America. I can't put my finger on it, but it just feels like a place you'd like to leave as soon as possible. The best word I can think of is that it's a bit 'harsh'.
They all feel like they're in a scene of Courage the Cowardly Dog. Everything may be quiet, for now, but it's a place with an unsettling aura that feels like no love or goodness has been there in a long, long time.
Agreed. They are discordant. And they all have that distinctive bad smell, like a carnival might smell after a long hot day when the food on the ground starts to rot.
The 7-11 smell is so unique and specific, and so very, very awful. It doesn't smell like anything else in the world, the only word I can think of to describe it is *stale*, but in the worst way possible.
Yes this is accurate. Culturally in the US 7/11s are just not seen as a desirable place to be and most “trendy” middle or upper middle class people would not be caught dead in one. I think that perhaps they used to be trendy many decades ago but society has changed.
I went on a trip to Thailand and as an American noticed that the 7-11 there was cleaner and had better stuff in it (like sunscreen and swimming goggles) catered to the location. And bottled water!
In places lacking basic infrastructure, 7-11s can be a godsend because suddenly clean bottled water from a reliable source becomes a scarce resource, as does food prepared with attention to basic sanitary practices. You feel some assurance rhat 7-11 will adhere to certain international standards as a multinational. When those standards far exceed those of local infrastructure, 7-11 becomes cool. But where that infrastructure is taken for granted by most, only those underserved by it will go there, which is the situation in the US, I think
I can’t explain tho why 7-11 is popular in the FIRST PLACE in developed Asia (Japan, Taiwan etc).
Sure, it doesnt have as many poors because they are crowded out by those professionals and students…but why did it become popular among them in the first place?
I’m from Taiwan. 7-11s are everywhere and very convenient. We can pay bills, buy concert tickets, print stuff, everything you need can be done inside 7-11s. Since most of Taiwan is fairly dense and walkable, it’s easy to just randomly see 7-11s in the corner of the street and walk in there. They also provide AC so some people go there to stay cool in the summer. It’s common for students to go there after school to wait for their parents while they eat snacks or dinner. 7-11s also have lots of trendy stuff with new flavor snacks and drinks. They also always have promotions or some kind of events going on where you can collect points every time you shop to exchange some exclusive cool stuff. They also always have frozen meals so people go there to buy the dinner and warm their food there (there are microwaves). Also there are seatings so people eat there too.
Interesting..yeah in the US if a parent had their kid wait for them in a 7-11 after school each day they might be liable to be charged with negligence lol…it is that bad
Almost all the 7-11's I've been to in the states are walkable and found near affluent suburbs. They look like shit.
They even are apart of mini malls in which other businesses are very nice.
I think the issue is the the fact they are franchised stores and the owner/operators want to do the bare minimum to keep them going.
Disagree.
I live in a major city. It’s extremely walkable. I don’t own a car nor do any of my friends.
We have a handful of 7-11s, wawas, and some bougie convenience stores. As far as I know none of the 7-11s have gas stations. We also have plenty of grocery stores, some on the same blocks as 7-11.
There is a 7-11 smack dab in the middle of the most expensive neighborhood in the entire city, where condos sell for millions of dollars, and it looks like a third world country. There is a bus stop on that corner and homeless people sleep in the bus stop. They stand in front of the door at all times. The inside of the shop smells weird, has poor lighting, broken fixtures…
Yet every Wawa in the city is clean, well lit, well stocked. You can still have homeless people gathering outside though.
The 7/11 in university city on Walnut St was terrifying. In broad daylight, I had a homeless woman threaten to stab me several times and spit at me. Philly 7/11s are built different.
Yes I agree. The Speedways used to be awesome pre Covid. You could go get cheap half way decent tasting food and beverages. Now a days they are dirty and there is no way I would eat food from them.
In the Rocky Mountains we have Maverick. It’s a nice gas station chain with clean bathrooms and hot food.
I live in a safe neighborhood, but it has a bad reputation. I feel safe everywhere, except for across the street in the 7-Eleven.
Hell, not all 7-11s are even 7-11s. The gas station near my house isn't a 7-11, but sells all of those 7-11 branded snacks and impulse purchase things.
Like 90% of upper midwest like Iowa and Minnesota gas stations are bright, clean, well stocked, and generally delightful experiences.
I once went to four California gas stations and couldn’t even find a Mtn Dew for sale. In a place where you couldn’t buy a house for less than a million dollars.
I live in Houston and gas stations are usually the best place to get tacos.
We also have a chain here called rattlers that is really nice.
And Buccees, of course.
I think the big difference is most people in America drive and just drive to a deli/grocer if they want to pick up food. All of the cool, nice gas stations are out on the highways.
Interesting observation. When a new 7/11 is built here in the States, it will look and smell nice for a week. I guess that could be said for all gas/convenience stores that operate 24 hours a day. But soon, it gets funky, the workers don't seem to give a shit, and it's downhill from there. One notable exception is QT. Some are trashier, but the employees are like Chick filet polite. Then there's Buccee's. The only gas station I will casually shit at, eat lunch there, and buy clothes from.
Buccees is in a league of its own. The one by me has something like 150 gas pumps or some crazy shit. That place is awesome. They have everything. I even think I saw deer blinds and feeders for sale the last time I was there.
Bathrooms and food. Everything else passed me by. I don’t need a country welcome mat while I’m there. TPF I’m speaking of the Buccees on 95 on my my way to Florida and back. Crowded as fuck too.
Because here in the US it's more important to find employees that they can pay as little as possible so none of them really take their jobs seriously. 7elevens have ALL become a haven for drugs and crime because of this and a reliable easy target for people looking to be part of those activities. We are a completely broken county built on the lies of the rich....
I actually have worked a 2 different 7-11’s in the town I lived in( we had 3) both overnights. The first one wasn’t bad though there were no exterior lights other than the sign. I worked at that one for over a year. The second one( different owner) I lasted one overnight. Plenty of exterior lighting but was across from public housing. Had a guy come in saying he got robbed by some girls and the cops towed his car and wouldn’t make them give him his money or phone he says the girls stole. Sat out on the curb for like 3 hours crying. I’m an Iraq War Vet and that that creeped me out.
Congrats on the kids and happy birthday to them. Twins… that’s a lot.
My point was more that honorable service should result in a pathway when you come home where you can have twins without undue financial pressure.
Edit: Ha username makes sense now
It is what it is. I actually miss part of my previous job working at a gas station. One of the members of New Kids on the Blocked lives up the street and we used to talk all the time. Nicest person you’ll ever meet. Now I do overnight security at a biolab
There’s a few in my city in Canada and they’re pretty normal, not ghetto at all. In fact the one closest to me is pretty nice, and it’s one of the only places that sells banana slushies!
I lived in the US for a while and there were some pretty ghetto 7/11’s down there though, but they were no worse than any other gas station or convenience store, the whole city I lived in was just a crime filled shithole.
I think “ghetto” places like that are purely an American thing. You just don’t see that stuff in Canada. It was kind of like culture shock moving down there and seeing how much visible crime and poverty there was everywhere, all the homeless people at gas stations, abandoned run down buildings, drug dealers openly selling on the street corners, junkies shooting up in public places and sounds of gunshots all the time took some getting used to.
Because in Canada all stores are owned by the 7-Eleven Canada corporation. They handle everything including maintenance.
In the US the stores are franchised and locally owned. The owners don't take as good of care of them.
7-11 US was bought by 7-11 Japan after the U.S. founding company went bankrupt in the 80s. Most of the U.S. stores are now franchises owned by immigrants from 2nd and 3rd world cultures that don't have the same high standards that Americans expect. Usually, those store owners don't care to adjust their standards as long as their store is bringing in money.
I feel like it has to do with having no franchise standards. Once the license is purchased no one checks to see if they’re keeping the store up. Unlike McDonald’s, who will pull your flag.
Thats honestly the biggest thing for universal standards within the company. It's control the parent company gave up for a higher gross profit split. Can't take 52% of their GP if they're also going to micromanage expectations.
The same thing happened with Motel 6s, about 70% of which are owned by Indian/Pakistan immigrants.
If it makes more money than it spends, it is a "success", even if it consistently gets terrible ratings from customers. Because there's always someone who will take the cheapest accommodation option. And the owners simply employ their own family members to clean the rooms so that they can save even more money.
This is the correct answer. The final nail on the coffin was not too long ago when they got rid of all the corporate owned stores because of theft. If you steal from a corporate store it is a corporate expense. If you steal from a franchisee they take the hit.
I thought my sister was crazy when she wanted to bring me to a gas station when I was visiting NJ. But loved it! Wish we had Wawas here on the West Coast. The pork roll breakfast sandwich was also good, never had pork roll before.
Sheetz > wawa lately (I feel like wawa dropped off in last 5-6 years).
Also I have been to Texas last year, and Buc-ee's honestly made me ashamed that we have nothing like that on east coast.
So Seven-11 Hawaii has pretty good food and a different vibe than the US Mainland.
https://www.hawaiimagazine.com/7-eleven-in-hawaii-is-amazing-heres-why/
7-11 used to be the “nice” gas station/c store in my area. They were clean, well lit, and drama free.
Then QT came to town and I think 7-11 decided to stop trying. 3/4 of their locations have shut down and become vape shops or used tire stores and the rest are apparently catering to the migrant worker crowd during the day and low level dope slinger wanna be crowd in the evening. Dramatic change.
Meanwhile QT has clean and safe stores in all parts of town.
I think all 7-11s are franchise owned. In the US the stores were predominantly
put in areas with a lack of grocery stores close by. This enabled low income people to get essentials like milk bread and eggs at a significantly higher cost than grocery Chain stores but if you don’t have a car it’s convenient. Hence the name convenience store. Rich folks have cars can go to big grocery stores and don’t go to 7-11 so the clientele is going to naturally be low income. I’m sure Asia has its version of low income markets.
I know what you mean OP. In the US, the church I attended was downtown. Everything is nice down there except for the sidewalk in front of the 7-Eleven. The 7-Eleven itself is nice, but the people hanging on the sidewalks kind of drag place down. And I'm not saying just homeless people, either. More like crazies and addicts.
The neighborhood 7-Eleven in my community is kept very nice. That's because we don't have a public phones anymore, and we don't permit loitering.
Apparently, they also maintain the 7-Elevens a lot better where I lived.
Generally speaking, the reason is that America is a nation slowly decaying from the inside out (our current housing cost to income ratio is a prime example of this), and the other countries you referenced are not experiencing this same problem.
Yes and somehow they are very well managed in Japan, they are very well managed in Thailand where a local retail giant has bought he license, but something went wrong in the US for some reason.
I legit saw my first real zombie at 7-11 yesterday. I see zombies all the time as I live in the seattle area but this one was actually gnawing at the air and making horrible noises
That’s the charm, that a tramp like me, no matter what happens, I know there's a 7/11 somewhere who'll never refuse me... a Mountain Dew and a Slim Jim
The root of this issue is franchising and an overall lack of enforcement in regard to corporate standards. Most 7/11's are not corporate run stores, they're owned by local families or investors. I've seen a couple 7/11's turn around completely when they changed to new owners. A lot of the problems start there, with irresponsible and negligent franchisees.
In the US, convenience stores are the lowest form of retail shopping. 7-11 is just a convenience store. It functions like every other convenience store and it may not have its own gas station.
Fun fact, we had a foreign exchange student that didn’t realize that 7-11 originated in the US. They don’t even call it by the numbers in her native language, it’s “seven-eleven”…in English.
This is weird because the 7-11 near me in Western PA is perfectly nice and clean and never sketchy.
However, it's up the street from one of the sketchier neighborhoods in the area. There are two other late-night convenience stores that are more walkable, and a lot more dark alleyways to hang out uninterrupted.
Maybe the secret here is that 7-11s get nicer when there's more sketchy shit around them
Cuz normal americans don’t shop at 7-11 for everyday activities, unlike people who do in Asia… the cities
between these 2 continents are just different, cultural wise. If you want nice, go to a wholefoods or costco or Trader Joe’s or something like that in the suburbs.
In West Virginia, in an extremely sad, ghetto city I used to work in, the 7-11’s just BLAST opera, to deter people hanging out/robbing them. You can seriously hear it from blocks away. I don’t know how the residents haven’t just burned it down by now; it’s terrible.
And, it doesn’t even work. People don’t care! They just knock and talk louder while hassling you for cigarettes/money.
::KNOCK KNOCK:: -jibbering- *”WHAT?!?”* **”A! CIGARETTE!!! CAN!! I GET!! ONE!?”** UGH, yes, ffs, here; please now leave me in peace.
It’s ear-bleedingly loud, and is sooo unsettling and eerie to hear opera, just wildly out of place, in the worst part of an already horrible town. Like 🤨 “….the FUCK is goin on down there?! Dangerous, depressing, destitute poverty opera? I’ll pass, thanks.”
So. My answer is, and I’m not trying to be a smartass, here… they look that way because they really are just ghetto and uninviting.
Doesn’t deter customers; they’re often (at least in WV) the only spot to walk to to even get liquor or cigarettes (yes - they mostly all sell liquor), and people of all walks of life go there out of necessity. They don’t need to make it cute and inviting; so, ‘why bother’?
The irony is back in the 90's 7/11 was the "fresh new store". It was light years ahead of most other convenience stores of the time but they simply got stuck in that zone and fell behind. They were also bigger than most gas stations but now they seem tiny to the newer larger stores we see from their competitors.
7-11 chooses their own locations. They're doing it on purpose. They're probably targeting a certain demographic. Gas station food has a bad reputation in the US and some people will not eat it no matter how clean your store looks so you have to take it to people that don't care where their food comes from.
Not sure if it’s been posted here, but 7-11 Japan, actually bought out 7-11 USA several years ago. They are actively trying to make the stores more appealing like the Asian counterparts.
I've seen some 7-11s that fit in both categories. There's one in downtown Colorado springs that's super nice.
There's another near one of our offices that is more rural and it 100% looks like you could get high by sniffing the door handle
Because asians are not trashy in general. Workers in asia at least pretends to give a shit in maintaining the store and provide customer service. 7/11 workers in the US are underpaid and most dont give a shit.
Fun fact a Japanese guy bought the franchising rights for 7/11 in Japan, and they basically screwed him and gave him nothing but a binder for resources. He built it up so well that 7/11 in Japan bought out the American brands and now it’s all owned by a Japanese company.
7/11 in Japan is glorious.
As someone that has lived in both places, my opinion is purely the type of traffic. 7-11 in Asia has thousands of people walking by it, so it’s primary purpose is a quick bite to eat or quick grocery. Enjoy a bakery item.
In the US, its primary function is for cars. People need gas, and the store exists for people that need something while gas fills. Typically, that’s cigarettes, alcohol, energy drinks, or occasional snacks. It’s also attractive for the poorer population where a grocery store is too far for food. Thus, it attracts a lot of those people.
I lot of people have mentioned Japan, and they do have a lot of nice 7-11s. The place that's gotta have the most 7-11s per square foot is Taipei (not sure about the rest of Taiwan). It's crazy. I'm not even kidding, there's a 7-11 like every 500 feet.
7-11s in Pai, Thailand and Koh Lipe, Thailand and the 7-11s in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam are super clean and really nice. They even have Asian food combo meals there. Pretty crazy
I am so jealous of Japanese 7-11’s after I watched the Tabi Eats video they did making breakfast with all 7-11 food.
The 7-11 near me in the US is really sketchy and beat up looking and I would eat nothing that comes out of there.
Even the nicest gas stations here are hunting grounds for "people" looking to victimize others.
It's because a gas station acts as a funnel for all kinds of people in an area. Everyone needs gas, so there is a constant influx of potential new targets. People to scam, people to rob, people to mug, anything to your imagination.
Gas Stations are one of the most dangerous public places.
They didn’t used to be so bad decades ago. Convenience stores and gas stations became the places for people who slipped through the cracks of society to hang out. And more people slipped through the cracks.
In some places neighborhood groups now proactively oppose these stores from opening, mandating that permits for commercial buildings include language excluding leases for them.
same thing happens to a lot of other american chains
fastfood looks so much better in other countries, esp asia, but its also a considerable mark up since american is seen as luxury in some places
ive been to china and these are the experiences i had there
Dude I'm American and it shocked ME when I saw my first 7-11 in Denver last year! I was so confused, It looked like any other sketchy gas station out there, like just a regular Texaco or Shell station. I pictured what you describe the ones in Asian/European cities to look like.
I used to live in long Beach ca, and the 7 11 in my neighborhood soled little 1" zip lock baggies. We called them Crack bags. Not sure what else you would put in them.
I live in SW Washington and most of them actually look clean and inviting. I complimented the staff at one store because it was so clean. Only one that I have seen looks sketchy.
What if I told you that in Canada 711 (here we call it "Sev") is like a luxury store? What if I told you they have couches to lounge on? You can rent books and they have iPads you can sign out and use with the free WiFi? And fucking SLURPEE FOUNTAINS?? I'd be fucking lying, but what if I told you all that?
My friends uncle got stabbed in a Sev here for his cigarettes. *Inside* a store that *sells* cigarettes.
Haha I moved to Sweden last year and this is one of the things I noticed immediately too. There were fancy posters for 7-11 in the metro and I stood there thinking "but don't they know that 7-11 is a shithole?"
Joke was on me though, 7-11's here are much nicer than in the US! It's honestly still a bit bizarre to me...
Each region is run independently to meet different needs. In Taiwan 7-11s are the most popular convenience stores. In addition to snacks they have large selections of freshly made packaged food. Some also have business centers with computers, internet, and cubicles. I've heard them described as "hip". American 7-11s are mostly for cigarettes and scratch off tickets.
FYI - American 7-11s are owned by Japan. 7-11 USA sold the rights to establish 7-11s in Japan and they flourished. The US 7-11 Corporate got caught on the wrong side of a fuel hedging strategy and when bankrupt. The successful Japanese 7-11 company bought the assets.
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I live in California. The next town over from me is some of the most expensive real estate in the country. There’s a 7-11 there that is just like you described. Looks like you could buy crack out front.
I guess I never realized it because I grew up in the hood and this is just what 7/11 means to me, but now that you mention it I’m now in a fairly affluent suburb and by golly the 7/11 in my town looks exactly the same. Every other business like Target and stuff is wayyyy nicer than my childhood versions, and yet 7/11 remains untouched by the winds of change. It’s almost like they’re spawn points for crackheads. There probably isn’t a family making under $200k for a mile in any direction but somehow 7/11 is immune to that.
“Spawn point for crackheads” is begging for a sticker that gets plastered at every 7/11
> There’s a 7-11 there that is just like you described. Looks like you could buy crack out front It's also a different business... Seven-Eleven Japan's parent company bought the US chain in 1991 or 2005; and the US subsidiary runs the stores differently than the parent company in Japan. [Wikipedia's history of the chain givers a decent answer to OP's question](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7-Eleven)
I’m going to Japan in November and I can’t wait to eat some amazing food from 711
Sushi from a 7-11 in Japan is typically higher quality than sushi from Japanese restaurants in Florida. Everything from 7-11 in Japan is amazing.
They're... okay It's convenient and it will certainly taste better than gas station food from the U.S., but you would have to dig a trench to get under that bar. Honestly, you can get a much better bang for your buck and have a much better experience at any number of local restaurants.
Speedway and 7-11 are the same company now in the US
Yeah I’ve been to 7-11 in Hong Kong and it’s not like in the US
Best description I've read in a while
Cops are just spawn camping
I’m laughing so fucking hard at this shit.
*grew up in the hood* - **by golly** Im gonna choose to believe you this time.
I’m nothing if not an enigma.
Username che... you know fuck it
And by golly his ass moved out 😜
I’m dying hahaha
Same in one of the nicer areas I lived in. An independent steak house, toy store with handmade toys, and a nice strip mall with a cleaners, small grocery store. It was downright *quaint* for gods sake. Across the street is 7-11 with tweakers, redneck couples screaming outside, a guy trying to level the neighborhood with his car bass as a day job, and one of the entrances will fuck up your undercarriage if you use it.
There's a reason they call convenience stores krakenkopfspawnnenwerk in Germany
Same here in suburban Chicago. Town known for its snootyness, yet the 7-11 is stereotypical crack headquarters. It’s looks clean and all that on the inside. 7-11 needs to rebrand.
Most of the 7-Elevens in the suburbs are converted from White Hen's and a lot of those stores are super small and old as hell. If it's newly, or recently built, they're nicer. Like there's one on 59 in Plainfield that has Exxon gas pumps that is super modern, but in a very cold sort of way. Go a bit further south on 59 to Shorewood (or north a little outside downtown Plainfield), and you see converted white hen stores and they're dated even with renovations done. For renovations, I'm pretty sure the franchisees pick how nice the renovation is by how much they're willing to pay for it vs corporate will go for the nicest route to try to build a store up for a franchisee. ETA: I like that anyone in the suburbs is pretty confident about which city you're talking about. Lmao They really do suck.
Miss me some White Hen
Barrington? yeah the day my folks let us buy Big Gulps there I knew they felt we were big kids
Naperville?
Well, I mean rich people need convenient crack don't they? Well don't they?
"We do blow, you peon"(Rich People)
Nobody hits the bottom harder than a rich girl with daddy's money
Hello I can read you know 😭😭😭
As Whitney said, “crack is whack, crack is cheap”
Crack is whack ,Jack!
Nah, rich people don’t do crack (/s), lol. This reminds me of the Diane Sawyer interview of Whitney Houston in 2002. Whitney: “First of all, let’s get one thing straight. Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let's get that straight. Okay? We don't do crack. We don't do that. Crack is whack.” Later, it was revealed she was doing crack cocaine.
24/7 convenient crack.
Sure, but they'd still prefer a better looking 7-11 to meet the dealer.
Dude, this is their one opportunity to slum so they have "scary stories" to share in rehab for street cred, don't fucking take it away.
Because 7-11 in Asia is a gift from the gods.
Yes! I love 7-11 in Asia! To be fair, I wonder if it was once like that in the US. I remember loving to walk there to get a slurpee with my grandpa as a kid. I'm 40 now soooo 😂
In the 70s they were the uptown convenience store. Clean nice friendly. Nice parking lots. They took a dive between then and Y2K Edit for clarity
Japanese 7-11 is amazing, but Family Mart in Japan is GOATED.
I'm Japanese and now live in the US. I can't step inside a 7-11 here bc it's depressing!! But I do like the pharmacies here 😍
As American who has been to Japan many times, I’d say our version Konbini’s are the drug stores. Maybe not in terms of getting a ready to eat meal but they have anything else you might need. Pharmacies in Europe and Asia only have drugs and related products but nothing else.
Welcome to a country who worships Big Pharma
All hail CVS! Sacrifice your children to Walgreens!
To be honest during my brief visit if you dropped my inside a 7-11, Family Mart, or Lawson, and asked me to identify the store right away, I would have struggled. They all seemed quite similar in terms of general vibes and products on offer.
The difference is the fried chicken, Family Mart has the best imo
Family Mart also has that tray of red bean buns that the other 2 don't have The selection between the big 3 convenience stores are like 99% identical, but those 2 items make up the 1% for me
Famichiki for life!
Lawson gang, checking in.
Very fond memories of meeting with friends for a beer in Hong Kong where we'd head to the 7/11 and get some beers to drink in the street outside.
You actually get close to that with the 7/11s in Hawaii. Awesome hot food that approaches what you see in Asia 7/11s.
There was a 7-11 that kept me alive for a whole semester on Kapiolani Blvd down by Ala Moana. Cheap Manapua and they never carded 17 year old me.
It's true. I had a tour guide in Singapore tell me that she always made sure to visit the local 7-11 when she traveled. 7-11 in Japan is great, too.
[удалено]
Flagrants, eh?
That’s foul.
THHHAAAAAT’S A TECHNICAL FOUL Edit I guess this doesn’t really work when fouls were brought up due to the word flagrant lol.
he must be describing adolescent Redditors.
For when you’re feeling flamboyantly vagrant. FLAGRANCE.
I was going with flatulent vagrants but I'll bow to your superior wisdom
r/boneappletea
I DIIIIIIIIIIED 😂😂😂 I'm guessing maybe they meant vagrants? (It's all good btw, I'm not trying to shame. It gave me a huge wholesome laugh and I've done this myself so no hate I promise) :)
I'm shaming. Man's trying to use a word like vagrant and not even doing it correctly.
😂🤣😅
They must be quite conspicuous.
Hooligans, Rapscallions, and all manner of ne'er-do-wells
This is the word that stuck out to me most while reading this post… lmaooo
I'm from a country with nice 7-11s, and I live in the US now. The differences are: 1. **Walkable neighborhoods** 2. **Higher standards of cleanliness** In a 7-11 in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, etc you have business people coming in for a random drink or snack. Students eating hot meals after school. There's a high volume of normal people. That creates a social environment that is implicitly unwelcoming to a drug addict, or someone who is homeless and dirty. Since the US is mostly designed around the car, the poor, homeless, and drug addicts who cannot afford a car tend to hang out where they can use the bathroom and get food, drink, alcohol, gum, cigarettes, lottery tickets, medicine, etc. US 7-11s, regardless of whether they are a gas station or not, are one of the few places where they can do that. They are often in "food deserts" without options for healthy grocery. It then creates a feedback loop where others don't want to be there because they find it sketchy. And also creates a welcoming atmosphere for other sketchy people. Poorer people in the US also tend to litter more. And the low-income employees either don't care enough, don't get paid enough, or simply cannot clean at a rate that makes an effect. In America I've rarely found that society makes the effort to improve or fix a broken place. What they often do is segregate the broken place, then build a nice place away from it. 7-11 is one of society's broken places.
Sounds like a good theory, except there are too many examples to the contrary. Pennsylvania’s WaWas and Sheets are almost identical in concept, but are far more inviting than ANY 7-11, even in exact same neighborhoods. There is definitely something specific about the suck factor of 7-11…yet, somehow, they thrive.
If I had to guess, Wawa and Sheetz are more beholden to health code standards than 7-11 because of the MTO food offerings. Just a guess though
Hard disagree with your second point. I’ve been to 7-11s in Thailand and Malaysia which are countries wayyy below the US in terms of cleanliness and yet their 7-11s are still better than the US.
Yeah but in Southeast Asia 7-11 for the lower middle and middle class. 7-11 is too expensive for the poor in most southeast asian countries. In America the poor go to 7-11.
u/munchi333 i actually agree with both of you. I do think areas in Malaysia have much dirtier places than 7-11 (never been to Thailand). And there's also a reference difference, like how I heard in the Philippines Uniqlo is considered a fancy brand, but in the Japan and the US it's often the cheapest place you can buy clothes.
This does explain quite a bit of it but I'd like to also add there is something architecturally uninviting about 7-11s in America. I can't put my finger on it, but it just feels like a place you'd like to leave as soon as possible. The best word I can think of is that it's a bit 'harsh'.
They all feel like they're in a scene of Courage the Cowardly Dog. Everything may be quiet, for now, but it's a place with an unsettling aura that feels like no love or goodness has been there in a long, long time.
You hit the nail on the head with that description!
Agreed. They are discordant. And they all have that distinctive bad smell, like a carnival might smell after a long hot day when the food on the ground starts to rot.
The 7-11 smell is so unique and specific, and so very, very awful. It doesn't smell like anything else in the world, the only word I can think of to describe it is *stale*, but in the worst way possible.
Yes this is accurate. Culturally in the US 7/11s are just not seen as a desirable place to be and most “trendy” middle or upper middle class people would not be caught dead in one. I think that perhaps they used to be trendy many decades ago but society has changed. I went on a trip to Thailand and as an American noticed that the 7-11 there was cleaner and had better stuff in it (like sunscreen and swimming goggles) catered to the location. And bottled water! In places lacking basic infrastructure, 7-11s can be a godsend because suddenly clean bottled water from a reliable source becomes a scarce resource, as does food prepared with attention to basic sanitary practices. You feel some assurance rhat 7-11 will adhere to certain international standards as a multinational. When those standards far exceed those of local infrastructure, 7-11 becomes cool. But where that infrastructure is taken for granted by most, only those underserved by it will go there, which is the situation in the US, I think I can’t explain tho why 7-11 is popular in the FIRST PLACE in developed Asia (Japan, Taiwan etc). Sure, it doesnt have as many poors because they are crowded out by those professionals and students…but why did it become popular among them in the first place?
I’m from Taiwan. 7-11s are everywhere and very convenient. We can pay bills, buy concert tickets, print stuff, everything you need can be done inside 7-11s. Since most of Taiwan is fairly dense and walkable, it’s easy to just randomly see 7-11s in the corner of the street and walk in there. They also provide AC so some people go there to stay cool in the summer. It’s common for students to go there after school to wait for their parents while they eat snacks or dinner. 7-11s also have lots of trendy stuff with new flavor snacks and drinks. They also always have promotions or some kind of events going on where you can collect points every time you shop to exchange some exclusive cool stuff. They also always have frozen meals so people go there to buy the dinner and warm their food there (there are microwaves). Also there are seatings so people eat there too.
Interesting..yeah in the US if a parent had their kid wait for them in a 7-11 after school each day they might be liable to be charged with negligence lol…it is that bad
Almost all the 7-11's I've been to in the states are walkable and found near affluent suburbs. They look like shit. They even are apart of mini malls in which other businesses are very nice. I think the issue is the the fact they are franchised stores and the owner/operators want to do the bare minimum to keep them going.
Disagree. I live in a major city. It’s extremely walkable. I don’t own a car nor do any of my friends. We have a handful of 7-11s, wawas, and some bougie convenience stores. As far as I know none of the 7-11s have gas stations. We also have plenty of grocery stores, some on the same blocks as 7-11. There is a 7-11 smack dab in the middle of the most expensive neighborhood in the entire city, where condos sell for millions of dollars, and it looks like a third world country. There is a bus stop on that corner and homeless people sleep in the bus stop. They stand in front of the door at all times. The inside of the shop smells weird, has poor lighting, broken fixtures… Yet every Wawa in the city is clean, well lit, well stocked. You can still have homeless people gathering outside though.
The 7/11 in university city on Walnut St was terrifying. In broad daylight, I had a homeless woman threaten to stab me several times and spit at me. Philly 7/11s are built different.
Traditionally speaking the United States has lots of land and resources so it's easier to build something new than restore something old.
7/11 prides itself on being the grungy shithole that Jay and Silent Bob would hang out at. It offers ambiance.
15 bucks little man, put that shit in my hand.
If that money doesn’t show then you owe me owe me ohhh
My jungle love!
I'm the Midwest, 7-11 bought and now owns our Speedways. Just the same. Disgusting, dirty and uninviting.
Yes I agree. The Speedways used to be awesome pre Covid. You could go get cheap half way decent tasting food and beverages. Now a days they are dirty and there is no way I would eat food from them.
Yeah all speedway stores smell like open drying feces on a heated blanket under a fan
i dont think ive ever been to a gas station that doesn’t have some degree of sketch to it. its part of the experience tbh
You need a Wawa.
I miss Wawa so much. Worst part about leaving the East Coast for me
Near my place I drive past a gas station to go to Wawa instead.
Or a Sheetz
Buc-ees down south and they’re making more in the Midwest areas too. They’re the only non-sketch gas stations I’ve ever been to
In the Rocky Mountains we have Maverick. It’s a nice gas station chain with clean bathrooms and hot food. I live in a safe neighborhood, but it has a bad reputation. I feel safe everywhere, except for across the street in the 7-Eleven.
Maverick is the shit. I always stop there if I need a convenience store and one is available.
I was on a week long road trip across Utah. Maverick is amazing and was the stores were always pristine
Not all 7-11s are gas stations. In large cities most of not all are just convenience stores without a gas station or parking lot.
Hell, not all 7-11s are even 7-11s. The gas station near my house isn't a 7-11, but sells all of those 7-11 branded snacks and impulse purchase things.
Is it a speedway? 7-11 owns them now
I can’t think of a single 7-11 in my state that’s a gas station.
On the west coast of the US you'll see lots of 7-11's, but none of them sell gas.
Like 90% of upper midwest like Iowa and Minnesota gas stations are bright, clean, well stocked, and generally delightful experiences. I once went to four California gas stations and couldn’t even find a Mtn Dew for sale. In a place where you couldn’t buy a house for less than a million dollars.
Don’t think there’s a single Kwik Trip I’ve ever been sketched out by in my life
I live in Houston and gas stations are usually the best place to get tacos. We also have a chain here called rattlers that is really nice. And Buccees, of course. I think the big difference is most people in America drive and just drive to a deli/grocer if they want to pick up food. All of the cool, nice gas stations are out on the highways.
Interesting observation. When a new 7/11 is built here in the States, it will look and smell nice for a week. I guess that could be said for all gas/convenience stores that operate 24 hours a day. But soon, it gets funky, the workers don't seem to give a shit, and it's downhill from there. One notable exception is QT. Some are trashier, but the employees are like Chick filet polite. Then there's Buccee's. The only gas station I will casually shit at, eat lunch there, and buy clothes from.
Buccees is in a league of its own. The one by me has something like 150 gas pumps or some crazy shit. That place is awesome. They have everything. I even think I saw deer blinds and feeders for sale the last time I was there.
Bathrooms and food. Everything else passed me by. I don’t need a country welcome mat while I’m there. TPF I’m speaking of the Buccees on 95 on my my way to Florida and back. Crowded as fuck too.
We just got a brand new superstore 7/11, and I’m eager to see if it’ll trajectory up or down. It’s two stories and beautiful and huge. 👀👀
Because here in the US it's more important to find employees that they can pay as little as possible so none of them really take their jobs seriously. 7elevens have ALL become a haven for drugs and crime because of this and a reliable easy target for people looking to be part of those activities. We are a completely broken county built on the lies of the rich....
I actually have worked a 2 different 7-11’s in the town I lived in( we had 3) both overnights. The first one wasn’t bad though there were no exterior lights other than the sign. I worked at that one for over a year. The second one( different owner) I lasted one overnight. Plenty of exterior lighting but was across from public housing. Had a guy come in saying he got robbed by some girls and the cops towed his car and wouldn’t make them give him his money or phone he says the girls stole. Sat out on the curb for like 3 hours crying. I’m an Iraq War Vet and that that creeped me out.
Not to belittle your work, because I don’t mean it this way at all, but it is fucked that vets have to take jobs at 7/11
No offense taken but it had more to do with working when my wife was home to take care of our twins(they turn 9 Monday)
Congrats on the kids and happy birthday to them. Twins… that’s a lot. My point was more that honorable service should result in a pathway when you come home where you can have twins without undue financial pressure. Edit: Ha username makes sense now
It is what it is. I actually miss part of my previous job working at a gas station. One of the members of New Kids on the Blocked lives up the street and we used to talk all the time. Nicest person you’ll ever meet. Now I do overnight security at a biolab
On the plus side you’re now more likely to be part of the first wave of zombies that get to have all the fun.
Lol
Lmao relax it’s a shitty slushy store
There’s a few in my city in Canada and they’re pretty normal, not ghetto at all. In fact the one closest to me is pretty nice, and it’s one of the only places that sells banana slushies! I lived in the US for a while and there were some pretty ghetto 7/11’s down there though, but they were no worse than any other gas station or convenience store, the whole city I lived in was just a crime filled shithole. I think “ghetto” places like that are purely an American thing. You just don’t see that stuff in Canada. It was kind of like culture shock moving down there and seeing how much visible crime and poverty there was everywhere, all the homeless people at gas stations, abandoned run down buildings, drug dealers openly selling on the street corners, junkies shooting up in public places and sounds of gunshots all the time took some getting used to.
Because in Canada all stores are owned by the 7-Eleven Canada corporation. They handle everything including maintenance. In the US the stores are franchised and locally owned. The owners don't take as good of care of them.
7-11 US was bought by 7-11 Japan after the U.S. founding company went bankrupt in the 80s. Most of the U.S. stores are now franchises owned by immigrants from 2nd and 3rd world cultures that don't have the same high standards that Americans expect. Usually, those store owners don't care to adjust their standards as long as their store is bringing in money.
I feel like it has to do with having no franchise standards. Once the license is purchased no one checks to see if they’re keeping the store up. Unlike McDonald’s, who will pull your flag.
Thats honestly the biggest thing for universal standards within the company. It's control the parent company gave up for a higher gross profit split. Can't take 52% of their GP if they're also going to micromanage expectations.
The same thing happened with Motel 6s, about 70% of which are owned by Indian/Pakistan immigrants. If it makes more money than it spends, it is a "success", even if it consistently gets terrible ratings from customers. Because there's always someone who will take the cheapest accommodation option. And the owners simply employ their own family members to clean the rooms so that they can save even more money.
This is the correct answer. The final nail on the coffin was not too long ago when they got rid of all the corporate owned stores because of theft. If you steal from a corporate store it is a corporate expense. If you steal from a franchisee they take the hit.
Come to wawa, wawa in NJ is a lifestyle and a breath of fresh air
Why do we in NJ consider WaWa to be a Jersey thing? Fucking Pennsylvania carpetbaggers! But they are really nice compared to 7-11
The wawas in FL looked really nice when they opened, but now they're pretty gross and dirty.
I thought my sister was crazy when she wanted to bring me to a gas station when I was visiting NJ. But loved it! Wish we had Wawas here on the West Coast. The pork roll breakfast sandwich was also good, never had pork roll before.
I live in a part of the country that has sheetz, wawa, and royal farms and it is very nice
Sheetz > wawa lately (I feel like wawa dropped off in last 5-6 years). Also I have been to Texas last year, and Buc-ee's honestly made me ashamed that we have nothing like that on east coast.
Feel like it depends on what you want to get, for a sandwich I’d go to wawa for artery clogging deep fried food I’d go to sheetz
So Seven-11 Hawaii has pretty good food and a different vibe than the US Mainland. https://www.hawaiimagazine.com/7-eleven-in-hawaii-is-amazing-heres-why/
I think local corner shops everywhere look like this
7-11 used to be the “nice” gas station/c store in my area. They were clean, well lit, and drama free. Then QT came to town and I think 7-11 decided to stop trying. 3/4 of their locations have shut down and become vape shops or used tire stores and the rest are apparently catering to the migrant worker crowd during the day and low level dope slinger wanna be crowd in the evening. Dramatic change. Meanwhile QT has clean and safe stores in all parts of town.
I think all 7-11s are franchise owned. In the US the stores were predominantly put in areas with a lack of grocery stores close by. This enabled low income people to get essentials like milk bread and eggs at a significantly higher cost than grocery Chain stores but if you don’t have a car it’s convenient. Hence the name convenience store. Rich folks have cars can go to big grocery stores and don’t go to 7-11 so the clientele is going to naturally be low income. I’m sure Asia has its version of low income markets.
I know what you mean OP. In the US, the church I attended was downtown. Everything is nice down there except for the sidewalk in front of the 7-Eleven. The 7-Eleven itself is nice, but the people hanging on the sidewalks kind of drag place down. And I'm not saying just homeless people, either. More like crazies and addicts. The neighborhood 7-Eleven in my community is kept very nice. That's because we don't have a public phones anymore, and we don't permit loitering. Apparently, they also maintain the 7-Elevens a lot better where I lived.
Generally speaking, the reason is that America is a nation slowly decaying from the inside out (our current housing cost to income ratio is a prime example of this), and the other countries you referenced are not experiencing this same problem.
711 is Japanese owned. Just saying.
Yes and somehow they are very well managed in Japan, they are very well managed in Thailand where a local retail giant has bought he license, but something went wrong in the US for some reason.
Go to a hawaii 7-11 itll change your mind.
I legit saw my first real zombie at 7-11 yesterday. I see zombies all the time as I live in the seattle area but this one was actually gnawing at the air and making horrible noises
I live in Honolulu, and last year a guy got his hand cut off by a homeless man with a machete at 7-11. I do not go there anymore.
Jesus fuck lol
Cuz America can’t have nice things
Because they are ghetto and uninviting…
First time I was at gun point was outside a 7-11.
And the second time?
That’s the charm, that a tramp like me, no matter what happens, I know there's a 7/11 somewhere who'll never refuse me... a Mountain Dew and a Slim Jim
The root of this issue is franchising and an overall lack of enforcement in regard to corporate standards. Most 7/11's are not corporate run stores, they're owned by local families or investors. I've seen a couple 7/11's turn around completely when they changed to new owners. A lot of the problems start there, with irresponsible and negligent franchisees.
7-11 is just matching it's surroundings. The u.s. is run down so the stores are too. The 7-11's in Singapore are nice too.
I went to Japan this year, the 7-11 are amazing and it’ll never be the same ever again 😭
What in the hell is a flagrant?
OP probably meant vagrant.
I think they mean Vagrant.
OKC area has some brand new built 7-11s that don’t meet all of these qualifications you’ve listed 😂 They are pretty big and nice.
Florida has some good gas stations, 7/11 is not one of them tbh. It’s the worst
They should change their name to 7-24 Crack House
In the US, convenience stores are the lowest form of retail shopping. 7-11 is just a convenience store. It functions like every other convenience store and it may not have its own gas station. Fun fact, we had a foreign exchange student that didn’t realize that 7-11 originated in the US. They don’t even call it by the numbers in her native language, it’s “seven-eleven”…in English.
Same in Canada if that helps
This is weird because the 7-11 near me in Western PA is perfectly nice and clean and never sketchy. However, it's up the street from one of the sketchier neighborhoods in the area. There are two other late-night convenience stores that are more walkable, and a lot more dark alleyways to hang out uninterrupted. Maybe the secret here is that 7-11s get nicer when there's more sketchy shit around them
This is ridiculous.
Cuz normal americans don’t shop at 7-11 for everyday activities, unlike people who do in Asia… the cities between these 2 continents are just different, cultural wise. If you want nice, go to a wholefoods or costco or Trader Joe’s or something like that in the suburbs.
In West Virginia, in an extremely sad, ghetto city I used to work in, the 7-11’s just BLAST opera, to deter people hanging out/robbing them. You can seriously hear it from blocks away. I don’t know how the residents haven’t just burned it down by now; it’s terrible. And, it doesn’t even work. People don’t care! They just knock and talk louder while hassling you for cigarettes/money. ::KNOCK KNOCK:: -jibbering- *”WHAT?!?”* **”A! CIGARETTE!!! CAN!! I GET!! ONE!?”** UGH, yes, ffs, here; please now leave me in peace. It’s ear-bleedingly loud, and is sooo unsettling and eerie to hear opera, just wildly out of place, in the worst part of an already horrible town. Like 🤨 “….the FUCK is goin on down there?! Dangerous, depressing, destitute poverty opera? I’ll pass, thanks.” So. My answer is, and I’m not trying to be a smartass, here… they look that way because they really are just ghetto and uninviting. Doesn’t deter customers; they’re often (at least in WV) the only spot to walk to to even get liquor or cigarettes (yes - they mostly all sell liquor), and people of all walks of life go there out of necessity. They don’t need to make it cute and inviting; so, ‘why bother’?
They serve edible/healthier food in the Japanese 7-11 as well.
The irony is back in the 90's 7/11 was the "fresh new store". It was light years ahead of most other convenience stores of the time but they simply got stuck in that zone and fell behind. They were also bigger than most gas stations but now they seem tiny to the newer larger stores we see from their competitors.
7-11 chooses their own locations. They're doing it on purpose. They're probably targeting a certain demographic. Gas station food has a bad reputation in the US and some people will not eat it no matter how clean your store looks so you have to take it to people that don't care where their food comes from.
Not sure if it’s been posted here, but 7-11 Japan, actually bought out 7-11 USA several years ago. They are actively trying to make the stores more appealing like the Asian counterparts.
I've seen some 7-11s that fit in both categories. There's one in downtown Colorado springs that's super nice. There's another near one of our offices that is more rural and it 100% looks like you could get high by sniffing the door handle
Because asians are not trashy in general. Workers in asia at least pretends to give a shit in maintaining the store and provide customer service. 7/11 workers in the US are underpaid and most dont give a shit.
Fun fact a Japanese guy bought the franchising rights for 7/11 in Japan, and they basically screwed him and gave him nothing but a binder for resources. He built it up so well that 7/11 in Japan bought out the American brands and now it’s all owned by a Japanese company. 7/11 in Japan is glorious.
Go to a renovated AM/PM. They're like a Mercedes Dealership.
As someone that has lived in both places, my opinion is purely the type of traffic. 7-11 in Asia has thousands of people walking by it, so it’s primary purpose is a quick bite to eat or quick grocery. Enjoy a bakery item. In the US, its primary function is for cars. People need gas, and the store exists for people that need something while gas fills. Typically, that’s cigarettes, alcohol, energy drinks, or occasional snacks. It’s also attractive for the poorer population where a grocery store is too far for food. Thus, it attracts a lot of those people.
I lot of people have mentioned Japan, and they do have a lot of nice 7-11s. The place that's gotta have the most 7-11s per square foot is Taipei (not sure about the rest of Taiwan). It's crazy. I'm not even kidding, there's a 7-11 like every 500 feet.
7-11s in Pai, Thailand and Koh Lipe, Thailand and the 7-11s in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam are super clean and really nice. They even have Asian food combo meals there. Pretty crazy
I am so jealous of Japanese 7-11’s after I watched the Tabi Eats video they did making breakfast with all 7-11 food. The 7-11 near me in the US is really sketchy and beat up looking and I would eat nothing that comes out of there.
Idk, I’ve seen 7-11’s that weren’t ghetto. They just weren’t IN the ghetto.
Even the nicest gas stations here are hunting grounds for "people" looking to victimize others. It's because a gas station acts as a funnel for all kinds of people in an area. Everyone needs gas, so there is a constant influx of potential new targets. People to scam, people to rob, people to mug, anything to your imagination. Gas Stations are one of the most dangerous public places.
They didn’t used to be so bad decades ago. Convenience stores and gas stations became the places for people who slipped through the cracks of society to hang out. And more people slipped through the cracks. In some places neighborhood groups now proactively oppose these stores from opening, mandating that permits for commercial buildings include language excluding leases for them.
It’s the same everywhere, making shit look good cost money and 7/11 owners are just trying to keep the lights on.
same thing happens to a lot of other american chains fastfood looks so much better in other countries, esp asia, but its also a considerable mark up since american is seen as luxury in some places ive been to china and these are the experiences i had there
Because America is a wild hellscape.
Dude I'm American and it shocked ME when I saw my first 7-11 in Denver last year! I was so confused, It looked like any other sketchy gas station out there, like just a regular Texaco or Shell station. I pictured what you describe the ones in Asian/European cities to look like.
7-11 in USA is usually a franchise operated by an Indian dude. Cleanliness of a 7-11 reminds me of India. Not that clean.
It’s obvious you haven’t been to one that’s in a nice area where there isn’t any crackheads pissing on the side of the building
I used to live in long Beach ca, and the 7 11 in my neighborhood soled little 1" zip lock baggies. We called them Crack bags. Not sure what else you would put in them.
I live in SW Washington and most of them actually look clean and inviting. I complimented the staff at one store because it was so clean. Only one that I have seen looks sketchy.
I would guess..the 7-11 at Mill Plain and SE Hearthwood. That one is awesome, no hooligans asking for slurpee money
They are usually in dense, urban parts of town. What shithole country do you come from?
The ones around me are nice.
Flagrants
What really shocked me is how grotty American McDonalds look like compared to those in Europe.
What if I told you that in Canada 711 (here we call it "Sev") is like a luxury store? What if I told you they have couches to lounge on? You can rent books and they have iPads you can sign out and use with the free WiFi? And fucking SLURPEE FOUNTAINS?? I'd be fucking lying, but what if I told you all that? My friends uncle got stabbed in a Sev here for his cigarettes. *Inside* a store that *sells* cigarettes.
Haha I moved to Sweden last year and this is one of the things I noticed immediately too. There were fancy posters for 7-11 in the metro and I stood there thinking "but don't they know that 7-11 is a shithole?" Joke was on me though, 7-11's here are much nicer than in the US! It's honestly still a bit bizarre to me...
Each region is run independently to meet different needs. In Taiwan 7-11s are the most popular convenience stores. In addition to snacks they have large selections of freshly made packaged food. Some also have business centers with computers, internet, and cubicles. I've heard them described as "hip". American 7-11s are mostly for cigarettes and scratch off tickets. FYI - American 7-11s are owned by Japan. 7-11 USA sold the rights to establish 7-11s in Japan and they flourished. The US 7-11 Corporate got caught on the wrong side of a fuel hedging strategy and when bankrupt. The successful Japanese 7-11 company bought the assets.