Yep, the parent is called 7 & i Holdings (don’t ask where they got that). It is a prominent, but by no means the only, chain of convenience stores (“konbini”) in Japan – there’s FamilyMart and God knows how many others. They are on every block in Tokyo and also in building concourses and the like. (There’s really no room for big supermarkets in densely built Japanese city centers anyhow).
They are of very high quality for a convenience store, spotlessly clean, and a good bit more elaborate than most convenience stores you’d see in the States. They have a fair array of prepared foods, hot and cold, and I always got a kick out of the opportunity to buy, say, a cooked saury fish or Japanese curry over rice at 7-11. Friends in Tokyo have told me that ex-pats have figured out a way to game the already-pretty-affordable price points: for items like sushi (yes, and it’d be fine), 7-11 is apparently fairly fanatical about rotating for freshness so they start cutting the price on the sushi within a really short period (I dunno, like four hours) after putting it out. It’s still perfectly fine, but you can get it at a substantial discount.
What else? Oh, you can buy a full range of not only beer, wine, and sake, but a good half aisle’s worth of hard liquor may well be on display.
Oh, and it being Japan, of course there’s a huge rack of manga and porno (I think usually shrinkwrapped or the otaku would never leave).
I just learned two or three years ago that 7-11 is now a Japanese company. Back when I was in Texas, it was a Texas company. The chain was owned by Southland Corporation in Dallas. Guess they sold it at some point, but that was a surprise to learn that.
There are thousands and thousands of 7-11s in Thailand. I remember seeing the first one open, in Bangkok in 1989. (Lots of Family Marts and a few other chains too, but 7-11 predominates.)
And perhaps Krispy Kreme is poised to do the same in Japan. About 5 years ago they had one shop opened in central Tokyo. Within 2 years, you can see them in most major train stations and regional shopping centers. Where they used to have 2-3 hours queues for donuts, they are now just trickles.
They’re doing that here. Opened a year ago with lines down the block. Not very long lines now but still a steady business all day. A second shop just opened.
“7 & i Holdings” comes from the two major retailers the corporation owns… 7-Eleven convenience stores and Ito-Yokado grocery/clothing stores. According to Wikipedia, it is the 5th largest retailer in the world.
Okay – Tony Roma’s Ribs sparked a major controversy with my JP colleagues. As those of us in the U.S. know, Tony Roma’s is a crap chain with fatty greasy baby back ribs as its speciality. I can’t be bothered.
One of my JP colleagues thinks it is the epitome of American food and wants to eat at the TYO location every time. Major internal debate.
Hooters opened in Ark Hills or the like last year. Apart from the false advertising (JP girls can’t quite fit the bill) – it’s just Hooters. Why in a land of awesome tori karaage anyone would need that crap is beyond me. But it’s mobbed apparently, including by some of my JP friends.