On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 15:42:15 GMT, Travers Naran <tnaran@direct.ca>
wrote:

>
>I thought it used to be owned by the mafia in the 1970s?  Well, its 
>parent company, Southland Corporation.

Never heard that one. Southland was, IIRC, headquartered in Texas ...
hardly Mafia territory, and was one of the largest independent
petroleum retailers in the US. Wherever 7-11's have gone hasn't always
turned to gold. Southland "invaded" Minnesota in the 1980's, going up
against our home-grown SuperAmerica chain of gas/convenience stores.
By the end of the decade, 7-11 had to admit defeat and sold most all
of their Minnesota properties to SA. It was a common occurance, for
awhile, to then see two SA's on opposite corners. Eventually, SA sold
off the extra properties. Two in Minneapolis were actually turned into
restaurants (sans gasoline dispensers, of course).