From TikTok to reality: Japanese snacks coming to 7-Eleven stores

The local 7-Eleven in Los Angeles might soon be stocking Japanese snacks and meals. 7-Eleven is bringing a bunch of international snacks to the States.

The U.S. 7-Eleven team is teaming up overseas friends to stock American shelves with treats from Japan and beyond. Soon you might find teriyaki chicken onigiri, miso ramen, and spicy crispy wings at your corner store.

It is all part of 7-Eleven's plan to up their fresh food game in the U.S. The big boss at 7-Eleven's parent company thinks the Japanese store model could work stateside, according to Bloomberg.

Shoppers have already spotted some of these new snacks in OC 7-Elevens. People on TikTok are buzzing about finding egg sandwiches on milk bread for six bucks. These sandwiches, while inspired by their Japanese counterparts, have some differences, such as the crust being left on.

This isn't the first time Japanese convenience store culture has appeared in Los Angeles. Famima tried bringing Japanese convenience store to L.A. a while back. However, it closed up shop in 2015.

This Japanese snack invasion comes as more people are getting hyped about konbini culture online. Konbini content is blowing up on TikTok, with over 150 million posts as of July 2024.

7-Eleven's being coy about when and where these new snacks will drop, but it's a big change for their U.S. stores.

This development follows the efforts of local restaurants and supermarkets to bring Japanese convenience store traditions to the city.

The big question is: can 7-Eleven nail the balance between authentic Japanese snacks and American tastes?