Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Late last week, we received reader reports that the 7-Eleven was closing this coming week on the SE corner of Avenue A and 11th Street — the information coming from a manager.
The closing wouldn't come as a complete shock, as Seven & I Holdings, the chain's Japan-based parent company, revealed in an earnings report last month that it would close more than 400 "underperforming" stores, CNN reported. The company did not provide a list of store locations.
While we don't know if this outpost underperforms, two other 7-Elevens in the East Village — St. Mark's Place and 14th Street — have closed since 2013.
We stopped by on Saturday, and as the readers told us, the store is pretty empty — looking ready to shutter.
However, the employees on duty said they were NOT closing.
The employees, who preferred not to give their names, consented to photos. They said a pipe burst in the ceiling and they had a flood, which is why everything is in trashbags and boxes.
One of the employees said that the rent, which was $16,000 (the store opened in October 2013), was now $40,000.
He also said that people come in and steal all day, every day.
He said, "Mothers steal, kids steal. They steal Red Bulls, they steal hot food. They steal cups, candy, and anything they can get their hands on. The police do nothing. Nothing. They don't care. And if they do come and arrest someone, he's out later that day and back here stealing again. Some guys they steal in here, four, five times a day."
While I was here, two people asked if the store was closing.
There was a lot of pushback from local residents before this outpost opened in 2013, including rallies and chalking campaigns via the No 7-Eleven group (which had at least one celebrity endorser).
A lot of "local push back" is apparently not enough, since the transplants and gentries had no issue shopping there, probably assuming 7-11 is an organic part of New York life, as it is in their homes, back in the fly over states. Not that they would've cared either way.
ReplyDeleteFFS 7-Eleven wasn't in *Manhattan* previously but it was in the boroughs and all over the tristate area. I'm pretty sure I didn't fly here when I moved to the EV 25 years ago, but in any case it's just a Big Gulp of Diet Coke, not a sign of secretly growing up in Ohio. Get a grip on yourself.
DeleteI moved to the EV 28 years ago, and you couldn't see too many of those in the boroughs.
DeleteI'm happy you name checked Ohio as I'm claiming responsibility for the monumental statement "go back to Ohio", which frequenting 7-11 in Manhattan is absolutely a sign of. Here, there's my grip.
So you grew up on the UES? You've really made me see the tragedy here. I'll pour out a 40 oz. Big Gulp for your lost homie, a 7-Eleven-free Manhattan
Delete$40K rent???
ReplyDeleteAside from the removal of the dining sheds this is the best retail news we've heard in ages. Goodbye and good riddance.
ReplyDeleteThe loss of the outdoor dining would be a shame, if implementation wasn't always ideal. It add so much to quality of life when the streets have folks enjoying the day with some food, coffee, or a glass (and we don't miss the loss of some free car storage).
Deletei'm glad about those sheds being torn down. they encouraged homeless folk to use them as rest stops/motels, a hiding place for rats and muggers and they were eyesores. in addition, they took away from the quality of life when you couldn't walk on the sidewalks because people were too busy taking up space ignoring pedestrian traffic by enjoying the day with food and coffee. as far as 7/11 i have never been inside of one in the 60 years i've lived in any part of manhattan. not a snob just not for me.
DeleteI don't know how they could pull in enough to pay employees, utilities, suppliers, etc. and still pay $40K rent. Absurd.
ReplyDeleteNot sad to see them go but it is a sad state when people can just steal whatever they want with no consequences.
ReplyDeleteIs that still a Jared Kushner building?
ReplyDeleteApparently the transplants and gentries aren't shopping there enough to offset all that stealing!
ReplyDelete@9:46 It is sad and disheartening to see how inequitable our system is, where people feel compelled to steal just to survive. Meanwhile, the top 5% exploit the system daily through unpaid taxes, price gouging, and excessive resource consumption, all while contributing significantly to carbon emissions—yet they face no repercussions.
ReplyDeleteMany people steal just because they can. I work in a local grocery store which actually gives food away to indigent people and walking out with 10 rib eyes is exactly happening because you’re hungry
DeleteI had to pop in there Saturday as well and the cashier told me they are closing in approx two weeks.
ReplyDeleteSee ya!
ReplyDeleteThe comments here are so dopey. "transplants and gentries" -- are you guys 12 years old? "probably assuming 7-11 is an organic part of New York life," -- lol you think people who are buying a bottle of water and soda are thinking this deeply about it
ReplyDeleteThis is the most hostile 7-11 I've ever been in. Nonetheless, it's a convenient place to get something to drink when you're at the park in the summer. Bitch all you want, but paying three dollars for a pop at one of the grimy nearby bodegas is not actually a better experience.
ReplyDeleteI know teens who like it but I, along with many in this thread I'll guess, said "there goes the neighborhood" when they opened.
ReplyDeleteI tried to buy a banana... It was $. 79. I didn't try hard enough. I just walked out. Greed flation.
ReplyDeletethis = a city council issue
ReplyDeleteLol
DeleteMiserable people in the comments, not surprised. Complain about bars. Complain about convenience stores. Complain about another “Asian” restaurant.. Complain about transplants as if people from NY don’t relocate to other cities. Go to the suburbs instead of being miserable here.
ReplyDeleteDon’t forget the complaining about smoke shops legal or not
DeleteAgree about the transplant/shopping habit thing being stupid. My grandfather lived on the LES his entire life. Guess what? When McDonald's opened, he went and got stuff there. It was just another place to buy apple pie to him.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sorry! Went to buy a small $1 bottle of water. I didn't buy it and never went in again because it was $2
Delete@7:44- When lowlifes steal shit prices go up. Chumps pay.
ReplyDeleteMy parents moved outside of Cincinnati, Ohio and in the 20 years I visited them I never once saw a 7-11. Now if a UDF or a Skyline Chili opened up I'd agree the city had gone full Ohio. And you never want to go full Ohio. ;)
ReplyDelete