Convenience store giant 7-Eleven continues its creep into the restaurant space, this time enticing diners with the offer of a free pizza, available through its app.
The free cheese, pepperoni or extreme meat pizza is available only for delivery or pickup on Oct. 4 via the 7Now delivery app, the Irving, Texas-based company announced Thursday. Diners will still have to pay for delivery.
The offer is designed to “help loyal sports fans cheer on their teams and properly homegate,” 7-Eleven said in a press release.
That meal occasion, of course, has long been dominated by quick-service brands such as Domino’s and Wingstop.
7-Eleven is looking to one-up many restaurants with its convenience offerings, noting that customers can add items such as cut fruit, fresh-made salads, and bone-in and boneless wings, as well as beer or wine in participating areas.
"Our 7Now delivery app has proven especially popular as people choose to order-in their favorite comfort foods and snacks not only while watching sports games, but also when working at home, helping kids with schoolwork or binge-watching Netflix," said Raghu Mahadevan, the chain’s vice president of digital and head of delivery, in a statement. "We at 7-Eleven want to make life easier and convenient any way we can."
The chain’s delivery app is currently available in about 1,300 cities, with a menu of fresh and hot foods, household items, groceries, over-the-counter medications and more. Most orders are delivered in about 30 minutes, the company said.
New 7Now customers can use a promo code for $50 in delivery credit until Nov. 3.
This is not the first time 7-Eleven has tried to steal business from restaurants. The chain has been opening Laredo Taco Company restaurants inside its retail units for at least 18 months. The Mexican concept specializes in housemade tacos and other traditional street foods.
The c-store has also been experimenting with a new format, known internally as the Evolution concept, that features a designated area for on-premise food consumption as well as a section for craft wines and beers.
Just this week, the company said it would be hiring more than 20,000 new workers for its more than 9,000 U.S. stores as part of a pandemic-driven hiring push. Since March, the chain and its franchise owners have already hired more than 50,000 new employees, according to Restaurant Business sister publication CSP Daily News.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.