With alcoholic drinks gradually rolling out at thousands more retailers in Ontario, shoppers will soon be able to pick up beer, wine, cider and various ready-to-drink cans at convenience and other stores — and even enjoy them at said stores, in the case of one major chain.
Starting September 5, 7-Elevens provincewide will be eligible to start stocking the aforementioned adult beverages, as with all corner stores and a longer list of supermarkets (which can, as of August 1, also offer seltzers and other sips they weren’t able to stock previously).
But, setting the 24-hour American-owned chain apart from the competition is that its locations will be fully licenced, meaning that customers can purchase and consume alcohol on-site.
I think selling them in these places is fine. That happens in lots of other parts of the country. But who would ever want to sit in a 7-Eleven and have a beer (or a Coke, or a tea, or whatever else)? It just seems like it would be an unpleasant experience.
— clapping on the offbeat (@dzuunmod) August 8, 2024
It’s a move that’s been years in the making and started with one location in Leamington, which in 2022 became the first store of its kind in Ontario to serve such drinks in an enclosed dining area on the property. Another in Niagara Falls likewise got its licence to serve soon after, following the same model of a separate dining section.
While the concept is certainly a novel one for people in Ontario, it doesn’t seem like many are planning on running to their local outpost come next month. Some are calling the addition “the dumbest thing” and joking that some of the establishments will soon be vying for the title of “Toronto’s hottest club.”
Others are anticipating “Waffle House style brawls” and an uptick in drunk driving as a result.
“Thank you, Doug Ford. In these times when people are worried about the pocketbook we need to make date nights cheaper, and sexier. This does both,” one person quipped.
Nothing screams “I need a life” more than grabbing a table and a beer at a 7-Eleven.
— Larysa Dub (@LarysaDub) August 8, 2024
For those precious few who may actually be looking forward to getting lit at their local 7-Eleven, the brand will be adding the service in a “phased approach” across dozens of locations, with only a few potentially getting restaurant spaces before next year. Drinking hours are expected to be 12 noon to 11 pm.