My good friend Agent ACK and I were working out the other day and he asked me a simple little question. Neither of us knew the answer, and it was one of those things that you wonder in passing but isn't important enough to actually go and find out.
And this bothers me. Too often we dismiss our curiousity because it isn't readily satisfied in this day of instant gratification, and so our brains are dulled because we're just too lazy to go in search of answers.
Well, no more, Agents! Agent ACK has inspired me to start a new feature here on The M Files, to be known as "Life's Little Questions."
The question Agent ACK asked me was about Root Beer Slurpees. "How come they haven't had Root Beer Slurpees at our 7-11 for a while?" He asked. "Who picks the flavors?"
Who indeed, Agent. Who indeed.
So I decided to find out.
I went to the 7-11 and asked them how their Slurpee flavours were chosen, and here's what I was told (and this applies to all 7-11 convenience stores):
1) There is always at least one Coke and one Pepsi Slurpee.
2) Coke and Pepsi each pick one flavor of the month to go alongside themselves.
3) Any other flavors are at the discretion of the store.
But I had to verify my facts, Agents. One thing I always promise you with Life's Little Questions: All facts are checked at the source. No exceptions.
So I called 7-11 directly, yes I did. At Corporate Communications, 7-Eleven, Inc., (214) 828-7345. And they verified that yes, the above statements are true.
Delving deeper into the Slurpee issue, however, I found out these fun facts at The 7-11 Website:
- The first Slurpee machine in a 7-Eleven store was in 1965 with 3 machines that became an immediate success. The company ordered 100 more machines and by the spring of 1967 the Slurpee machines were almost in every store. The first 7-11 store (and their current corporate headquarters) is in Dallas, Texas.
- 7-Eleven customers sip and slurp 11.6 million Slurpee® beverages each month. Favorite flavors are Coca-Cola and Minute Maid Cherry. Since its introduction in 1966, close to 6 billion Slurpee drinks have been sold, just about enough for every person on the planet to have slurped.
- 7-Eleven coined the term “brain freeze” in 1994 to communicate the painful joy of drinking a frozen Slurpee beverage.
- The most Slurpee® beverages in the world are purchased in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
(This must be why they invented Big Gulps. In Texas, everything is huge-- including, apparently, bladder size.)
(Although personally, I've never had Minute Maid Cherry. I guess I'll have to try it.)
(Actually, I think I coined it in 1975, at the age of six, right after screaming "Aagh! My eye!")
(Now what the hell is up with this? Winnipeg is one of the coldest cities in Canada! There's a reason they call it "Winterpeg," folks! And yet my father who lives there assures me that one can purchase bumper stickers in Winnipeg proudly proclaiming that city as the "Slurpee Capital of the World.")
OTHER 7-11 FUN FACTS
7-Eleven was the first convenience-store retailer to give customers “freedom of choice” by offering all major soft drink brands at the fountain.
7-Eleven was the first to:
… operate 24 hours a day
… sell fresh-brewed coffee in to-go cups
... have a self-serve soda fountain.
And that's your Life's Little Question answered, Agent ACK. Anyone else got a Life's Little Question? Go ahead and Email Me. Anyone asking for the Caramilk Secret will be summarily ignored.
In what year did 7-11 Slurpee machines become self-serve in Canada? See the comments section for details.
Posted by Michael at April 24, 2003 02:32 PMOkay.. a few points to make.
1. I'm impressed that you actually called 7-11's corporate office to ask this... LOL!
2. I have never seen a slurpee like that promo-pic. Looks like DairyQueen poured it. Or the Green Giant had a movement of some kind...
3. Winnipeg. Slurpee Capital of the world. I just do not understand. Like it isn't cold ENOUGH there?
4. >right after screaming "Aagh! My eye!" ... Thank you... I just shot my drink all over the monitor. ROFLMAO!
5. Minute Maid Cherry. Can't sez I've ever heard of it. Much less sucked it down.
6. Can't we just ask our Little Questions here? *evil grin*
7. They still don't have Root Beer slurpees often enough dammit. And who the hell drinks Iced Tea slurpees? Someone has been suckin' on the CO2 lines again if they think THAT is popular...
ACK!!!
Posted by: Agent ACK on April 24, 2003 03:42 PMKnowing a little bit about 7-11 and their frozen delights, I can tell you the dark secret about Root Beer Slurpees, from what I was told during my 4 yr. tour of duty. Apparently, the root beer syrup has a slightly different freezing temperature than the other syrups, and if you use it in the mixers it can damage the machine after extended use. So when you do see root beer slurpees, it's probably because some newbie who didn't know better hooked it up. That's what I was told, anyway, and it's a damn shame.
Posted by: Agent Brucie on April 24, 2003 06:35 PM...and you really don't want to know what can grow in those machines if they are not cleaned regularly and properly...
Posted by: Garething on April 24, 2003 07:50 PMStrange things happen when you slurp a slurpee.
As the former Big Kahuna of the Slurpees (I've cut back to two a week so that I don't turn into a blob), I figure I should add a few things:
1. Brain Freeze is a well known phenomenon that is not restricted to Slurpees - medical literature uses the term "Ice Cream Headache". Despite this, the mechanism of how cold drinks going down causes pain in the head is not well understood.
2. Re: Winterpeg slurpees. I buy Slurpees year round, and every year, without fail, some wag says "it's forty below out - why are you buying a Slurpee?". Because I don't plan on drinking it outside, Goofball - other people drink hot coffee in the summer, so why can't I drink a Slurpee in the winter?
3. Re: Minute Maid Cherry. I'll join the "never seen a cherry Slurpee hallelujah chorus" and add that it's probably a regional thing. It just plain doesn't sell in Canada, but it's probably the cat's ass in Texas and Georgia (home of the Cherry Coke). Copper Sulfate Slurpees seemed to have been test marketed in the Sylvan Lake region recently, to universally negative reviews.
4. Kids these days. I remember back in the day when we only had Coke and Orange. Now they have Pina Colada and flavours that bear no resemblance to any earthly substance (Blastastic Berry anyone?).
5. Re: Root Beer. I'm not sure I buy The Brucie's explanation - these machines are fairly heavy duty because the great unwashed public uses them. In my experience, Root Beer Slurpees are always in the same stores, which suggests only that the manager likes them.
6. Worst flavour ever: Buttered Popcorn. I never had the stones to actually try this.
7. There is no point seven.
"Ohmigod - SOMEBODY STOP THAT KID!" - 7-11 employee witnessing a two year old toddling up to the Slurpee machine with a double gulp container in hand.
Posted by: Quixote on April 24, 2003 09:42 PMOne thing that stuck in my mind...apparently there are no slurpees in Australia. I remember when Paul was visiting, he became addicted to slurpees. When I asked why he was so fascinated with them, his response was "We don't have these back home".
I take it they have the equivalent of sno-cones (ice shavings with some flavouring), but nothing quite so sophisticated as the North American Slurpee.
If 7-11 REALLY wants to make a killing, then, they'll open up slurpee stands in Australia.
Posted by: Maire on April 28, 2003 12:12 AMIf there was ever a country that desperately needed Slurpees, it's Australia.
"...anyone'll tell you it's a prisoner island,
hidden in the summer for a million years."
Since no one has guessed it, I will post the answer to the trivia question here:
Slurpee machines were made self-serve in Canada in 1985. I remember the first time I got to work the Slurpee machine MYSELF, topping up the cup to the level *I* wanted-- that was a feeling of POWER, baby. It made me switch from Mac's to 7-11 as my Frozen Beverage Vendor of Choice.
M
Posted by: Agent M on April 29, 2003 12:50 PMWell, i've been working at the airport for about a month now, i walked into the macs store there, and they had root beer slurpee. (it's about time, mmmm rootbeer slurpee.........)
Posted by: Agent Wolf on May 22, 2003 01:04 PMNow see, this is what I'm talkin about.
Great piece and funny too.
ps
Now I WANT a rootbeer slurpy. Curse you!!!!
Posted by: yourmudder on May 28, 2003 04:19 PMTidbits: When first introduced at 7-11, Slurpees were called Icees. They licenced the machines from them, and changed the name to Slurpees later.
There is a 45RPM record that was released in the mid 60's that had Dance the Slurp on one side, and Strange Things that happen to people who slurp slurpees at 7-11 on the other side.
That's all for now.
"And then I started walking backwards. Boy, was I surprised".
how about a 7-Eleven regular employee verifying anything else for you?... currently working there still...lol (just stumbled across your website.
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Posted by: slot on January 29, 2004 10:13 AMyour gay for copying an pasting from the actual 7-eleven web site....
Posted by: a reallllly slurpee fan on February 23, 2004 08:49 AMI want to know where to get a 7-eleven slurpee machine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Stacy on February 24, 2004 07:02 PMI wish that slurpees were made like they were in the 80's they were always consistent and tasted waaay better i wonder why the change? probably because you would drink it and wind up sucking the syrup out leaving white ice. thats my thought. regardless, they were better than now. nowadays you can never find a really good slurpee, theyre usually cream colored and taste like shit and generally a waste of money. i find myself going to a corner store more often than a 7-11 to get my fix.
Posted by: wpgslurper on February 25, 2004 01:32 AMHow do Slurpee's cause BRAIN FREZZES at 7-11 they have "Warning Brain Freeze May Occur" well shouldnt they knwo how they start if they are gonna put that on their cups!!???? welll you have all the other info but wat about that??
Posted by: Mercedes on March 4, 2004 04:30 PMi propose to open the new convenien store,my question is,where i can get slurpee machine in malaysia agent,can u past to me the address and phone number agent slurpee in malaysia
Posted by: ZAINAL RAMJAN on March 4, 2004 09:03 PMBrain freeze is a result of sucking it down too fast. Rapidly cooling your insides and blood that then rushes to your brain, thus resulting in brain freeze. I do remember seeing in a promotion display a brief explanation about it.
Posted by: wpgslurper on March 6, 2004 10:41 PMare the slurpee fountain machines ONLY for the 7-11 stores or can other stores own them if so where can they be purchased please reply thank you
Posted by: Monica on March 29, 2004 09:57 PMI had the record from the sixties and am trying to find a copy of it. Someone stole it in the late eighties. Even if I could get someone who has the recording that I could buy a copy of it would be nice. Please email me and let me know. I am amazed that their is a comment about it here. Thanks.
Posted by: Shane Boldin on May 4, 2004 10:31 PMI have some slurpee cups with figures on them like Hawkman--Mr. Tawky Tawny--Shazam The world's mightiest girl--Kid Flash, with a short story on the back about each one. I was wondering how old the cups might be & if they might be worth something & where I might find out.
Posted by: carl on May 16, 2004 10:52 PM