Have you spent July dreaming of a future in which Americans of all walks of life can congregate at their local 7-Eleven store, 24/7, and enjoy fresh, cheap food in a bright, friendly environment? Maybe that’s just me. But if 7-Eleven’s plan to make its U.S. stores more like its Japanese stores sounds remotely exciting, we have good news. The new 7-Eleven era has apparently already begun.
Earlier this month, the CEO of 7-Eleven’s parent company, Seven & I Holdings, said in an interview with Bloomberg that it would be adopting some best practices from its Japanese locations at the chain’s U.S. stores. While the announcement mostly seemed to relate to how they do business behind the scenes—for instance, working with the same fresh food manufacturers they work with abroad and having food delivered more frequently—shoppers have already reported seeing Japanese favorites, like the milk bread egg salad sandwich, in U.S. stores.
In a recent interview with Today, a 7-Eleven spokesperson emphasized the chain’s commitment to “constantly evolving the fresh food assortment in our stores, tailoring the offerings at each location to meet the needs and preferences of local customers.” They went on to shout out some specific items, including Mangonada donuts with Tajin, barbecue pork sliders, chicken curry bowls, and everything breakfast sandwiches. But that’s just the tip of the new offerings iceberg. New items like chicken teriyaki rice balls, miso ramen, and sweet chili crisp wings have already been added to select locations across the U.S.
How is 7-Eleven’s transition going?
Not to be a pessimist, but I expected a slow rollout. But TikTokers have already started posting about some of the Japanese finds in their local 7-Eleven stores. Last week, TikToker @greenonionbun posted about her success finding an updated egg sandwich at her local 7-Eleven. The sandwich she spotted wasn’t exactly like the Japanese version. While the description on the package notes that the seasoned egg salad is now sandwiched between slices of milk bread, that bread comes with the crust on and, anecdotally, it isn’t as fluffy as the Japanese milk bread. Likewise, the egg salad itself is a little different; she described it as less flavorful and more packed with egg whites. And how about the price? Well, this egg salad sandwich will set you back six bucks, which commenters pointed out isn’t exactly a bargain. As one person lamented, “If only they’d bring those Japanese prices [sobbing face].”
Hoping to score some konbini-style eats at your local 7-Eleven? Well, you may have to be patient—and vigilant. As Eater L.A. noted, 7-Eleven has yet to announce when new products will be arriving in stores and which stores will get the updated items. Keep your eyes peeled (and immediately tell us if you see those chicken teriyaki rice balls, obviously).
I keep seeing Eater saying LA stores have the new Japanese egg sandos, but I don’t think they do. The pictures show the same old simply egg sandwich, but on “fluffy milk bread” now instead. Even in NYC we have those sandwiches on the milk bread, and out of skepticism, I got one. It tastes nothing like the Japanese ones. I never had the egg salad sandwich from 7-11 before they made the announcement, but it looks to me like they only changed the bread and kept the filling the same, and everyone in LA is caught up in the excitement and don’t realize they don’t have the sandwich yet.
The 7-Eleven near the University of California in Riverside has the egg salad sandos. I didn’t expect them to be awesomely authentic but they’re okay. I’d get it again. Better than hot dogs on hot roller forever spinning on the counter.