7-Eleven has finally hit the end of the Raceway!

If you’re a regular follower at all of Houston Historic Retail then at some point you’ve seen our coverage of 7-Eleven’s return to Houston which at some point has been a bit contentious. It all started with a post back in February of 2020 when there was scant evidence of 7-Eleven’s return, which had been in progress since 2014! However, by early 2021 7-Eleven had made great strides in not only converting existing locations but in building their own locations as well as noted in a post from January of this year. Another great stride has been reached with the conversions of Raceway stores, which has been ongoing since late 2020 and was again covered earlier this year. With the rate of expansion in Houston exponentially increasing, Stripes stores have recently been seen dropping their name in favor of 7-Eleven, although that’s a post for another day. Today we’re taking a peek at what a completed Raceway conversion looks like, on Houston Historic Retail, 7-Eleven Watch!

While I don’t have any photos of the Stripes conversions just yet, I do have some teaser photos to leave you with! Before getting to those though, I do post a question dear reader, are we at point where we consider 7-Eleven having “made it” in Houston again? They were definitely at a saturation point their first time around in Houston, we haven’t hit that by far, so where does that put us?

8 comments

  1. As the nearest converted Raceway is across town, I haven’t checked out for a for full 7-Eleven conversion yet and still paying attention to former Rattlers/Stripes conversions (an Exxon in Navasota now has Exxon and 7-Eleven logos sharing spaces on their rectangular Exxon sign; it looks odd to say the least).

    I noticed for the first time that the Stripes ice bags, the last Stripes-branded item in my local store, are now 7-Eleven as well.

    I don’t think 7-Eleven has made it in the same capacity of pre-1987, as the Inner Loop area still lacks them. Remember, when NCS bought them, they had 270 stores in the area! Even with all the new builds and conversions, I’m pretty sure they number less than 40.

    1. I stopped in a converted Stripes for the first time recently, and it was somewhat surreal. Everything in there was 7/11 save for the Ice which was still in Stripes bags, and using Stripes pricing stickers. You’re right we’re nowhere near a 1980s level of 7-Eleven and Circle K occupation, but we’re getting closer!

      1. Hi I noticed that they’re building a quiktrip off 45@wilson rd in Conroe,TX any word if they’ll also be expanding in Houston as well?

  2. That closed Shell at Perry @ 1960 is right by that Raceway selling 7-11 Branded gas, which in itself is basically right across the street from the new 7-11 they’re building at 249 @ 1960 where the old Texas Land and Cattle is. They’re going to have three 7-11’s in less than 2 miles on the same stretch of 1960.

    1. Yup, I noticed the same thing when driving up for the photos. The conversion of Raceway and Stripes locations hasn’t really to much overlapping, but these new “random” conversions will.

    2. Don’t forget the Chevron at 249@Grant that was one of 7-Eleven’s “Tetco” tryout locations before reopening as a 7-Eleven. That’s just a stone’s throw from 1960. I’m glad to see 7-Eleven back in Houston but this is getting ridiculous.

    3. The FM 1960 W. & Perry Rd. ex-Shell started out as a Mobil gas station. I don’t think it was that old when it got converted into a Shell in 1992 along with most other Mobil stations in the Houston area at that time.

      It’s interesting to see those out-of-state license plates there in the photo of the FM 1960 W. & Mills Rd. intersection. That, in addition to the nice looking 7-Eleven, makes the area feel a bit ritzy. Well, at least I think so, but I am biased, lol.

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