History

From Ice Blocks To Snack Aisles — The First US Convenience Store Has Come A Long Way By Kat Olvera Oct. 23, 2025 2:00 pm EST

Now with over 9,000 locations in the United States alone, the story of how the first U.S. convenience store got its start proves that even small steps can grow into giant success. If you're thinking of 7-Eleven, you're correct. While 7-Eleven is now where you'll find the best iced coffee and a wide variety of snacks, in 1927, it was just starting out and hadn't gotten its name yet. In Dallas, Texas, the Southland Ice Dock was run by Jefferson Green and sold large freezing blocks for people to use to refrigerate their food. During this time, shoppers would often need to head to several different stores to get meat, other groceries, general home

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