The 7-Eleven Lab Store in Dallas, Texas looks nothing like your typical 7-Eleven. This massive store is quite an experience, giving customers the chance to sit down and enjoy some handmade tacos, order some wine on tap, and even get down on a little soft serve, something that no other 7-Eleven store provides.
The Lab Store gives 7-Eleven a chance to test different concepts like those above, all at once. Everywhere you turn, you see something that makes think, 'How is this in a 7-Eleven?'
The first and most obvious innovation inside being the taco shop, as the Laredo Taco Company whips up its tacos with handmade tortillas, handmade salsas, and an array of taco meats. Right next to it is a coffee bar with cold brews and kombucha on tap, making you feel like you're in an elevated Starbucks. Keep exploring within and you're hit with a station that serves beer and wine on tap, whch will even fill a growler of beer right in front of you.
Take a few more steps and you'll hit a full-blown wine cellar that carries hundreds of wines, at different price points.
At the other end of the store, 7-Eleven tests its famous Slurpees, tinkering with different flavors, which include organic versions.
With a soft serve machine right next to it, you can literally half-fill up a Slurpee cup with ice cream, and pour a Coke Slurpee for your own makeshift float. Or just top at the topping bar like a square.
One thing we didn't try, but is pretty revolutionary, is its "scan and pay" checkout model. This method allows you to scan your items and pay for them straight from your phone, without needing to bother with the cashier and lines. We first saw something like this at the Amazon Go store in early 2018, and further shows that we might be looking at the future of grocery shopping, with a tad less humans helping out.
Needless to say, if you're in Dallas, this is definitely worth checking out. It looks so crazy that some of the locals passed by daily and didn't even know it was a 7-Eleven, mistaking it for a giant gas station, or corporate office. Check out the full Foodbeast walkthrough below.
