7-Eleven Launches In-Store Licensed Dining in Canada with Expansion Plans [Photos/Interview]

The 7-Eleven convenience store brand in Canada is expanding some of its restaurants into licensed locations with dine-in seating areas.

The initiative has been launched in seven Alberta stores where customers can enjoy freshly prepared meals with chilled beer, wine, seltzers or coolers.

The company plans to roll out the concept in the near future to more locations including in Ontario.

“7-Eleven really is a restaurant that happens to sell convenience store items,” said Marc Goodman, Vice President & General Manager of 7-Eleven Canada. “We have this rich legacy of being a restaurant model here in Canada. It really comes from our global experience as an operator of over 80,000 locations globally.

“We’re innovators of high quality, fresh food, proprietary beverages in the neighbourhoods that we serve all across the world. The goal is to continue to grow as a restaurant and to grow our licensed restaurant format. It’s a natural extension to what we already do well.”

Its licensed restaurants include:

• 8210 – 160 Avenue, Edmonton
• 6975 Ellerslie Rd., SW, Edmonton
• 1704 Millwoods Rd South, Edmonton
• 14110 – 127 Street, Edmonton
• 4602 – 50th Avenue, Rocky Mountain House (dine-in and takeout only; no delivery)
• 101 West Haven Blvd., Leduc
• 10002 Franklin Avenue, Fort McMurray

“We’re looking to expand to Ontario as well,” said Goodman. 

“It’s quite disruptive to an industry that looks to us as a convenience store. We are a food first organization. So we really are a restaurant first that happens to sell convenience store items. Two markets that we’re looking to obviously grow and continue to change perception are in Ontario and Alberta.”

All 7-Eleven staff at these new licensed restaurant formats are ProServe trained.

There are three convenient ways to enjoy the new 7-Eleven Canada licensed restaurants, says the company:

• Dine-in: To experience the new dine-in option, you can drop by the new 7-Eleven licensed restaurants between 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. to enjoy a meal paired with a refreshing drink.
• Takeout: If you’re on the go and looking for a one-stop shop for hot foods and alcoholic drinks, you can visit any of these locations between 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., seven days a week.
• Delivery: For those that don’t want to leave the comfort of their home and are in the delivery range, you can place a delivery order through UberEats, DoorDash or SkiptheDishes between 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

“Consumers turn to us for value, for meals. We’re trusted in consumers’ minds for food and that is what we do first. We’re a food first organization . . . Consumers are looking for alternative, quick serve, fresh with high value products. And that’s what we offer,” said Goodman. “We’re looking for more ways to provide them convenience. The ability to pair your meals with a beverage . . . that’s something that our consumers have been asking about.”

The company has about 620 total locations in Canada.

Recently, 7-Eleven opened its newest convenience location at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Open 24/7 and located in Terminal 1 International Arrivals, the store will serve travelers and airport employees.

The company currently has five stores in airport locations.

“As a leading retailer, our goal at 7-Eleven Canada is to meet our customers where they are with what they need, and our latest store opening inside Toronto Pearson International Airport will provide both airport employees and travelers with all their on-the-go needs,” said Goodman. “We’re excited to serve the thousands of travelers and airport employees every day as we continue to expand our footprint for the years to come.”

The newly opened store is located as people step off the aircraft. 7-Eleven previously had a smaller location close to its new store which offers an expanded array of fresh food, proprietary beverages and a larger assortment of drinks and snacks.

“Since 2013, 7-Eleven has been a staple at Pearson’s Terminal 1—for arriving passengers, their friends and family and our employees,” said Ian Clarke, Chief Financial Officer and Acting Head of Commercial and Business Partnerships at the Greater Toronto Airports Authority. “We’re delighted to be celebrating the opening of 7-Eleven’s all-new location and the convenience it offers everyone at the airport just in time for the traditionally busy holiday travel season.”

Goodman said the company is constantly looking to innovate and find new ways to provide more convenient ways for customers to shop.

“We always look to continue to expand our footprint in years to come,” he said.

“The number of people that Pearson employs is equivalent to being the 87th largest city in Canada. It’s a large community and it’s a community that needs to have quick and quality service.”

And with all the travellers as well, “it’s an amazing number of people that we can serve, and provide food and drinks to those who trust our brand and know our brand globally.”

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