7‑Eleven Franchising Frequently Asked Questions

Most franchise systems require royalty payments based on a percentage of base sales. With the 7‑Eleven system, we share gross profits with our franchise owners, which is sales receipts less the cost of the merchandise sold.

Under this system, 7‑Eleven’s loyalty is tied to profitable sales rather than just sales. That's why 7‑Eleven goes beyond helping you increase sales by giving you the tools and resources you can use to increase your profitability.

7‑Eleven is always looking for candidates who possess the ideal mix of personal qualities, professional experience, and financial standing to successfully operate a 7‑Eleven franchise. For more details, please visit our qualifications page.

7‑Eleven is committed to actively promoting diversity in its franchise system.

7‑Eleven has an internal financing program that can provide up to 65% financing on our initial franchise fee. This kind of support is rare in the franchise industry. In addition to the financing we have available, 7‑Eleven may occasionally provide additional financing options to qualified applicants. A Franchise Sales Representative can provide information on the details and availability of these programs.

Yes. 7‑Eleven provides a discounted franchise fee plus other financial support to qualified United States military veterans. Visit our veterans page for more details.

How much money you make will depend on a lot of factors, including how well you:

• Satisfy your customers’ needs by providing product assortment, value, quality, service, and a clean, safe, and friendly environment
• Implement all 7‑Eleven operating principles
• Recruit and develop a top-rate, customer-focused store staff that can effectively communicate with your customers
• Monitor your sales trends while managing your expenses

In most states, the 7‑Eleven Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) provides some historical financial performance data for existing stores.

7‑Eleven provides all interested candidates with a copy of the FDD. If you'd like to obtain a copy, please complete an application to get the process started.

7‑Eleven has a unique approach to store development. Unlike most franchise systems that require franchisees to develop their stores, 7‑Eleven provides fully stocked stores.

In the case of our single-store and multi-unit traditional franchise programs, 7‑Eleven obtains and bears the ongoing cost of the land, building, and store equipment. Because Business Conversion Program franchisees retain control of their land and building, they are responsible for some of their own land and building improvement costs during the conversion process, but they benefit from 7‑Eleven’s development team in the streamlined conversion of their store.

Because our customers have come to rely on our stores to meet their needs and their schedules, all 7‑Eleven stores operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, where allowed by law.

7‑Eleven purchases and installs the following equipment in most new and converted stores:

• ATMs
• Bakery cases
• Cappuccino machine
• Chili-cheese dispenser
• Cigarette fixtures
• Coffee brewers, grinders, and counters
• Condiment station
• Gondolas
• Cold/hot food display
• Iced coffee dispenser
• Icemaker and merchandiser
• Low-temp cooler
• Microwave
• Ice cream novelty case and rack
• Open-air fresh food cases
• Post Mix beverage dispensers with bag-in-a-box and counter space
• POS counter space and register
• Retail Information System and Merchandise Ordering Terminals
• Roller grills and counter space
• Safe, counter, and security system
• Slurpee^® barrel dispensers
• Backroom shelving
• Water filter
• Interior valance
• Exterior trash cans
• Window graphics
• Banner boards
• Exterior signage
• Interior striping
• POP interior signage

The equipment provided to your store will vary depending on the condition of your store and existing equipment and may not include all equipment listed above.

7‑Eleven provides services that many other franchisors either do not provide, or they require additional fees to make these services available. Here’s what you get:

• 7‑Eleven provides a fully stocked operation
• 7‑Eleven obtains and bears the ongoing cost of the land, building and store equipment. When we build a new site, we may invest as much as $1 million to $2 million
• You and 7‑Eleven share in the store’s gross profit
• 7‑Eleven pays for the water, sewer, gas and electric utilities
• 7‑Eleven pays for any building rent and real estate taxes
• 7‑Eleven provides financing for all store-operating expenses
• 7‑Eleven provides bookkeeping, bill paying and payroll services for store operations
• 7‑Eleven provides a support structure and business consultant who meets with the Franchisee weekly to help maximize store performance

• A one-time initial franchise fee. The range of this fee is from $50,000 to $750,000; however, the actual fees depend on the store you select
• A down payment on the store’s inventory, supplies, business licenses, permits, and bonds (approximately $29,000)
• Initial cash register funds

Please refer to the FDD for a complete description of the initial investment costs. And keep in mind, 7‑Eleven offers financing to qualified applicants to assist with these costs.

The single-store franchise opportunity is perfect for candidates with retail or management experience who would like to start out by franchising a single 7‑Eleven store with the possibility to add more stores later on.

The multi-unit opportunity is geared toward candidates who have significant retail or management experience along with the financial resources and the management capacity to operate 2-10 stores from the start, with the possibility to add more stores later on.

In order to be considered for development as a 7‑Eleven store, all potential sites must be submitted to our real estate development team, which will evaluate the site and, if appropriate, work with the developer or landlord to develop the site. If you are the broker, owner, or developer of a particular site that you believe fits 7‑Eleven’s needs, submit your site here. If you own or lease the site, our Business Conversion Program (BCP) may allow you to convert the site to a 7‑Eleven store. Read more about the program below.

The following business types may be candidates for conversion:

• Convenience stores
• Gas stations with convenience stores or kiosks that can be expanded
• Service bay stations that can be redeveloped
• Liquor stores
• Delicatessens or small grocery stores
• Ground-up development (new real estate sites)

In addition to the business types listed above, we’re looking for businesses that meet the following criteria:

• At least 1 year in operation at current location
• Existing licenses (including ABC and cigarette licenses) in good standing with no recent violations
• If leasing, we prefer that at least 10 years remain on the lease and an estoppel certificate signed by your landlord
• Verifiable sales and income history for existing businesses

Physical attributes:

• We prefer at least 1,800 square feet of selling space after store is converted, but will consider sites with a minimum of 1,400 square feet of selling space
• 24-hour operation or a location that can convert to a 24-hour operation
• Electrical standard of 600 amp, 3-phase service
• If a gas location, optimized 7‑Eleven signage on pole and “tri-stripe” on building are strongly preferred

Your initial investment includes three major components:

• An initial franchise fee of $25,000
• An inventory down payment between $20,000 and $40,000, plus an initial cash register fund
• Land and building improvements, which vary by site

Please refer to the FDD for a complete description of the initial investment costs.

If you are a distributor or wholesaler of motor fuels (whether you control the real estate or not), our Business Conversion Program can accommodate multiple classes of trade (such as corporate, dealer, agent operators, and others). Our business model relative to gasoline stores deals with the in-store sales and gross profits, not fuel sales.

Once the term of your existing supply contract ends or is terminated, you can choose to convert your gasoline facility to the 7‑Eleven brand. However, we can and are willing to allow you to brand the 7‑Eleven store with any major gasoline brand.

If you don’t have a qualifying business, another way to participate in the BCP is to secure a new location that can be converted. Contact your local BCP representative for details on the site attributes we’re looking for and how you can participate.

We rely on our Franchisees to stock their stores with the products their communities are asking for. Thanks to technology that tracks in-demand products, this strategy has proven to be easy and profitable. It’s also allowed us to assemble a long list of recommended vendors that can source a wide selection of products. Eighty-five percent of purchases are required to come from these recommended vendors. We also require each store to carry certain proprietary products consumers expect from us, such as Slurpee^® and Big Gulp^® beverages, Café Select^® coffee, and other products exclusive to the 7‑Eleven brand.

The entire process, from your initial meeting with 7‑Eleven to your store’s grand opening, can take as little as six months to over two years. The timeline varies, depending on whether you are remodeling an existing store with the requisite conditional use permits, converting lube bays, or building from the ground up.

How well you operate your store and serve your customers will definitely impact your profit margin. Sometimes a store underperforms, and in these cases, 7‑Eleven does have a short-term income support program that provides temporary financial support if gross income falls below certain levels (see the FDD for a complete description of the program). Our goal is to see you profitable as soon as possible, since our success depends on your success.