The Country With The Most 7-Eleven Locations Actually Isn't The US

Reliable, often open 24 hours, and essential snack stops on road trips, 7-Elevens are everywhere in the U.S. It's the country's largest and oldest convenience store chain, with over 12,000 locations, but it might come as a surprise that the U.S. isn't the country with the most stores. According to data compiled by 7-Eleven Japan, the country is home to a staggering 21,956 stores.

The story of 7-Eleven does indeed start in the United States. Founded in Dallas in 1927, it originally began as an ice house selling blocks of ice before branching out into everyday convenience items. Originally called Tote'm Stores, the chain was renamed 7-Eleven in 1946 to reflect its (former) opening hours of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. The chain didn't reach Japan until nearly five decades later.

In the early '70s, Toshifumi Suzuki, an executive at the major Japanese retail group Ito-Yokado, visited the U.S. and was impressed by 7-Eleven's business model. He brought the idea back home and approached 7-Eleven's parent company, Southland Corporation, for licensing rights. The two struck a deal in 1973, and the first Japanese store opened in Tokyo in May 1974. However, Southland faced a steep decline in the late '80s and eventually filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

That's where Japan stepped in. In 1991, Ito-Yokado and Seven-Eleven Japan injected $430 million into Southland in exchange for a 70% stake, pulling it out of bankruptcy. Fourteen years later, in 2005, Seven-Eleven Japan's parent company acquired the remaining stake and took full ownership. Today, the American original is owned by its Japanese offspring. Talk about the student becoming the master.

Despite sharing the same name, visiting a 7-Eleven in Japan versus the U.S. can feel like two completely different experiences. In the States, 7-Eleven stores aren't exactly renowned for their food — although there are a few ready-to-eat options worth trying. Japan, however, tells a very different story. In major cities, it can sometimes feel like you can't turn a corner without stumbling upon one. Rather than serving as a quick pit stop for drivers, 7-Eleven in Japan is woven into everyday life, offering an impressive selection of fresh meals, snacks, and daily necessities.

Additionally, the convenience store chain operates under a master franchise model in many international markets, allowing regional partners to tailor their store formats and product offerings to local tastes and demands rather than follow a set template. In particular, Japan has become famous for its distinctive convenience store offerings, many of which have gone viral on social media.

The shelves at Japanese 7-Elevens are stocked with everything from trendy, fruit-filled sandos to onigiri, rice balls wrapped in nori and filled with ingredients like tuna mayo, salmon, or pickled plum. You'll also find bento boxes, affordable, neatly packed meals featuring rice, meat or fish, and a variety of sides. With all these options (and more) available, it's easy to see why a trip to 7-Eleven has become a quintessential part of a trip to Japan. But soon, a trip might not be necessary. In 2024, 7-Eleven announced plans to bring its Japanese snack items to the U.S. market, with items like the egg sando already being rolled out across the country.