7-Eleven is accelerating its growth across North America with plans to open 1300 new stores by 2030, as the convenience giant doubles down on foodservice as a core driver of future expansion.

The update came during a recent investor presentation from Seven & I Holdings, 7-Eleven’s Tokyo-based parent company, where executives outlined a revised five-year growth roadmap focused on higher-margin, food-centric store formats.

“In the US as well, many of our smaller competitors are focusing more on food and doing it well. As the environment has changed, we need to step up,” Stephen Hayes Dacus, president and CEO of Seven & I Holdings, said during the presentation.  

According to the company, 7-Eleven has developed a highly profitable in-store restaurant format that is outperforming traditional models. These stores not only generate higher food sales but also drive incremental revenue, with 81 cents in additional purchases for every dollar spent in the restaurant.

The company currently operates around 1100 stores with this format and plans to nearly double that footprint within five years.

At the heart of the expansion are the chain’s ‘New Standard’ stores, which feature larger footprints, modernized interiors, and a greater emphasis on fresh food. These updated locations are delivering 45 per cent higher sales than legacy stores, the company said.

“In the US, we will accelerate from the current level of 125 new stores per year to over 250, resulting in an additional 1300 stores over the next five years,” said Dacus. 

The rapid rollout also supports 7-Eleven’s growing quick-service restaurant (QSR) strategy. The company first pushed into QSR in 2021, announcing plans to develop 150 in-store restaurants, following early pilots in its ‘Evolution’ stores launched in 2019.

Globally, 7-Eleven operates 13,000 stores across North America and another 21,000 in Japan, serving 30 million customers daily across both regions.