7-Eleven

Don’t buy any food items unless they are sealed and wrapped and if so, make sure to check the date. I cannot stress this enough, check the date! As far as fresh foods, you can only be certain of three possible outcomes. One, it will be old; two, it won’t be properly cooked; or three, it will be contaminated. As a side-​note the «old» part can come in two forms. It was either cooked and left sitting too long, or it was out of date already before it was cooked. Honestly though, you have a better chance of getting decent food than you do of an employee actually washing their hands before serving you. That being said, even the donuts are not always safe. There is a good chance the person who put them in the case didn’t wear gloves or wash hands. On top of that, even if he did odds are a subsequent person who reorganized the case as donuts sold did not.
Fountain drinks and fresh tea are a no-​go as well, the nozzles don’t get cleaned daily as they should be (you’d be lucky if they are cleaned once a month) and start to build up mold; especially on non-​carbonated drinks. These things can build a lot of mold in some cases, I would recommend before getting a fountain drink to twist off the nozzle and see if it’s clean. If you see flakes of white, black or slimy looking surfaces inside, it’s not clean. The fresh tea, I would advice to stay clear, but, if you are daring enough to try this, be sure to open the lid, smell and look at it. Make sure it doesn’t smell like stagnant water and that there is no mold buildup. Same goes for the Slurpees, look at the clear covers, around the screws and nozzles for mold, chances are you will find it. If you feel adventurous to see something gross, take a look in the two floor drains, one by the fountain trashcan and the other by the coffee sink (that doesn’t work). After peeking at that, ask yourself «Do I feel comfortable eating or drinking anything here?».
If you opt to go the somewhat safer route and purchase a canned or bottled drink from the cooler you are mostly safe. However, if it is canned make sure to wipe the top of the can before drinking it. The cooler is old, poorly maintained and full of black mold as well as dust. This stuff can blow around in the cooler and end up on the tops of cans. If you buy perishables like milk or eggs, check them. Often the side of the cooler where these are kept is too warm and they spoil.
As far as customer service, don’t expect too much. They will greet you sometimes, they will ring you up and they will say good-​bye. Unless, they are otherwise distracted by talking on the phone, talking to each other (sometimes in foreign languages), or just not feeling friendly at the moment. If you have a complaint or issue, don’t expect any sympathy from the management. They seem to reserve the right to frustrate and belittle you at their whim. I imagine this is the root of the customer service issues; If I had to work for that kind of management, I would be unhappy and unfriendly as well.
I for the most part agree with the franchise model, however in the case of 7-​Eleven it has not served them well. While not all franchise stores are a mess, the majority are. 7-​Eleven as a brand has gone down hill for the past 10 years to a state of disrepair. This review is not just about this one store, but about 7-​Eleven as a company. They have allowed their franchisees to ruin the brand, this store just happens to be a shining example of how out of control it can get when a company doesn’t care enough about it’s customers to ensure that it’s franchises are being run to a certain standard. Or, in this case any standard at all appears to be absent.

When it comes to a service station there are really only three things that I look at. First, the price of the gas, and at this location it meets the average of the area. Second, The cleanliness of the location, especially any food items, and I would not of purchased any food items based on what I was seeing on the rollers. This includes a clean and fully functioning restroom, and at this location I would rated as a four out of 10 due to cleanliness leaky sink, and a bit of an odor, not quite an «oh dear» but getting there. Lastly, service, and they are profanatory at best. So if you need gas and paying by credit card, this is an OK place to shop, but outside of this find another one close by.