Are Slurpees finally coming to Oklahoma City?
Last night, we received a tip via The Ogle Mole Network that Central Oklahoma 7-Eleven Stores – the family run conglomerate that has owned and operated all metro-area 7-Eleven's since the 1950s – is being acquired by 7-Eleven's corporate ownership out of Dallas.
Check this out:
I tried calling the Central Oklahoma 7-Eleven corporate office earlier this morning to confirm the report, but their phone lines were not connecting. Curious, huh?
As a result, I decided to go undercover and visit my neighborhood 7-Eleven store – a miniature, 1990s rectangular time capsule that, like most 7-Elevens, doesn't appear to have been updated or remodeled in decades – to play dumb, see what the staff had to say, and take advantage of the free ATM.
It went something like this:
"Hey, were you guys bought?"
The question brought an immediate look of concern to the cashier's face. It was like I knew a secret nobody else should know. She didn't immediately answer.
"One of my friends told me about it." I continued. "I just wanted to make sure you all aren't going anywhere. I don't want to have to find a new gas station!"
She then confirmed the news with a slight head nod, and whispered something to the effect of "Yes, but we really can't talk about it."
"Is anything going to change?," I asked.
The other cashier then jumped in and proclaimed:
"They're telling us nothing is changing and we have it in writing!" She then proudly nodded towards a letter.
I nearly asked to see the letter, but I didn't. The last thing I need is to pull a Donnie Brasco and get too deep in the 7-Eleven underworld, and eventually have to beat up some guy at 7th Heaven bakery who asked me to take off my shoes.
Anyway, it will be interesting to see what, if any, effect this will have on things. You don't have to drive by more than five or six OnCues on NW Expressway to know that 7-Eleven has fallen behind in the local gas station scene. Maybe this corporate takeover will mean new and improved 7-Elevens on the horizon. That would be good news for locals who like clean, well-light spaces that offer fossil fuel, gargantuan beverages and stale donuts.
Also, could this move finally help usher QuikTrip into Oklahoma City? Although the Oklahoma media has tried their best to de-bunk it, legend has it that QuikTrip never expanded into Oklahoma City due to a handshake agreement between the founder of Central Oklahoma 7-Elevens – Bill Brown – and QuikTrip billionaire Chester Cadieux. I guess the deal was Brown would control the gas station market in the central part of the state, while QuikTrip would expand in Tulsa area...and then everywhere else in the world that wasn't OKC.
While we wait for those questions to be answered, feel free to contact us if you have any tips or details about the deal, including if Oklahoma will finally have rights to the Slurpee.
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Update: We received the following email from an anonymous email address. Can't confirm or deny the details, but I felt like sharing:
Update 2: An Ogle Mole forwarded us this flyer that 7-Eleven is sending to employees. It looks like the acquisition is in progress...
