The Beauty of 7-Eleven Convenience Stores

Many countries in Asia have embraced the corporate giant 7/11 but back home in Canada it’s just another convenience store and one that I rarely frequented. Filled with the usual arrangement of cigarettes, junk food, stale hot dogs and the occasional toilet, it’s not worthy of my attention.

On my travels, however, it’s a lifesaver. Beyond being the quickest source of free air conditioning or WiFi around (tip: pretend you’re browsing the magazine section and enjoy the cold air), it’s also a snack and food paradise.

I fully grasped it’s potential when I was in Japan and forced to live as cheaply as I could manage. I read articles that persuaded me to visit 7-Eleven for ready-made meals so I followed the advice and bought a bento box and onigiri (rice ball). If you wanna scrap the carb party, there’s also lean meat options and eggs with salad. Either way, these sustainable meals are prepared fresh to the day (unlike American 7-Eleven which is notorious for food poisoning) and cost about $5. You’ll find travelers purchasing the food, but also Japanese “salary men” grabbing them during lunch or after work.

7-Elevens in Japan also sell meal replacement bars called “Calorie Mate” that are dense with generous portions of sugar and include four bars per package. I wouldn’t rely on these everyday but for hiking 8+ hours up and down mountains, camping, hitchhiking or whenever you can’t predict when your next meal will be, these are essential. Not only that, I found $1 mini cartons of sake. They tasted horribly sour and kinda reminded me of being a preschooler again, but I got drunk for a low cost and that won my internal debate.

In Thailand, the food isn’t as delicious but I found other forms of sustenance. “Toasties” a.k.a ham and cheese sandwiches cost a buck and are warmed up by the store staff to satisfy every hungry or hungover stomach. They also go great with Singha beer which you can buy in the same store. Or, opt for bottles of coconut water or nut milk loaded with electrolytes and vitamins to stay healthy amid the sweltering heat and your alcohol poisoning.

Whether you’re buying food or cheap booze, or a sim card or lighter or simply enjoying the breezy cool air while the world outside burns in a humid affair, 7-Eleven can provide it. Abundance of these stores open 24 hours suits the unpredictable schedule of a traveling person and it ensures you never go hungry or spend too much eating, particularly if you’ve been traveling a long time.