IRVING, Texas – Lake Highlands, wake up and smell the bean-to-cup coffee: The northeast Dallas neighborhood is home to the newest 7-Eleven Evolution Store, only the second in Dallas and the fifth in the country. Building on the success of its first Evolution Store located at Sylvan | Thirty in Dallas, the Lake Highlands location will have many of the same features that will draw customers from across Dallas-Fort Worth. Number one on the list is a Laredo Taco Company quick-serve restaurant, along with self-serve, bean-to-cup coffee and espresso with touch-screen ordering, cookies and croissants baked in store daily, a wide selection of organic, natural and better-for-you items, an extensive wine selection and more.
Located at 9750 Walnut Hill Lane at the corner of Audelia Road, the newest 7-Eleven store is an experiential testing ground where customers can try and buy the retailer’s latest innovations in a revolutionary store format. 7-Eleven opened three of these new concept stores earlier this year in New York City, Washington, D.C. and San Diego. More Evolution Stores are anticipated to open in 2021.
Lake Highlands native, mixed-media painter and artist Mariell Guzman helped create a unique brand personality for the store and the neighborhood. Two larger-than-life murals were painted by Guzman both inside the store and on the north side of the store, visible from Walnut Hill and suitable for selfies and social media posts. Guzman’s Mexican heritage influences her art – the use of bright, rich colors and whimsical, fun designs reflect the energy of the neighborhood.
“We have learned a lot since we opened our first Evolution Store in early 2019, most importantly, that convenience shoppers love the concept and its unique product mix,” said Chris Tanco, 7-Eleven executive vice president and chief operating officer. “The Sylvan | Thirty store wildly exceeded our expectations, with sales three times what we originally projected. We’ve learned what resonates with customers and already incorporated our learnings into new and existing 7-Eleven stores across the system.”
The Lake Highlands store will have just the second Laredo Taco Company restaurant in Dallas. 7-Eleven acquired the authentic Mexican concept along with Stripes® convenience stores in South Texas as part of the 1,000-store acquisition from Sunoco in 2018.
Laredo Taco Company restaurants are famous in South Texas for their handmade tortillas made from scratch in stores every day, as well as their popular salsa bar with on-site, daily prepared salsas, guacamole and pico de gallo. Tacos, bowls and plate meals include specialties not always seen in quick-serve Tex-Mex restaurants, such as barbacoa, carne asada, picadillo, carnitas and breakfast tacos made with hand-cracked eggs.
Some of the other innovative platforms customers will see at the newest 7-Eleven Evolution Store include:
- Expanded self-serve hot beverage bar, with bean-to-cup coffee and espresso, brewed after being ordered from a touch screen.
- Customizable, self-serve novelty beverages on tap such as nitro cold brew, premium teas, aguas frescas, frozen coffee Slurpee® Nitro drinks, blended smoothies with real fruit and flavored sparkling water.
- An expanded selection of (award-winning) domestic and international wines, allowing customers to obtain their favorites right around the corner.
- Walk-in beer cooler with curated selection of craft and local beers, popular imports and top-selling big brand beer.
- Cookies, croissants and more baked in store daily.
- Digital initiatives that enhance the shopping experience. Mobile checkout technology allows customers to skip the checkout line and pay for their (non-age-restricted) purchases on their smartphones. And the 7NOW® delivery app allows customers to have their favorite items like fresh food, beverages, snacks, groceries, and household products delivered straight to their door or available for pickup by ordering and paying ahead of time.
“7-Eleven continues to push boundaries and try new solutions to answer customers’ needs,” Tanco said. “We have been ahead of the game with digital technology, specifically with contactless payments, home delivery and loyalty programs. That has proven particularly important now as we continue to navigate the pandemic. The shopping experience will never stop evolving, and we are laser-focused on our bright future serving customers.”
The new 7-Eleven Evolution Store is also providing local jobs, and the company is looking for outgoing, customer-service-oriented employees for this innovative new retail-restaurant concept. To join the Lake Highlands location as a sales or restaurant associate, interested people can apply online at: https://careers-7-eleven.icims.com. Under “Start your job search here,” input 54716 for sales associate or 54817 for restaurant associate.
