Does 7-Eleven Store Signal Detroit Recovery?
DETROIT (WWJ) - A big gasp as folks pull into the home of the Big Gulp, now open in Detroit.
WWJ's Mike Campbell reports that they are doing a bit of a Slurpee Dance downtown as the first 7-Eleven store in decades has opened its doors in the city.
"They get on their cell phones saying 'guess where I'm at?' I'm in 7-Eleven, but guess where? In Detroit. And they are taking pictures of it - with my team members, with myself, and it's just an exciting fun time," said owner Robert Taylor.
Taylor is the franchisee owner of the first 7-Eleven store in the city of Detroit in two decades.
And he says this is just the start! The store at Jefferson and Chene is the first of two that he'll open in downtown Detroit this year.
"I'm going to open the downtown locations; currently there is this one there will be four more in the downtown area," he said.
The second one, he noted, will be at Cadillac Square and Randolph - right on the corner.
"Yes ...I was riding by and saw the 7-Eleven and I was like ... 7-Eleven in the city? What a shocker!" said Barbara Thomas of Detroit.
Thomas said that seeing a 7-Eleven in the city tells her the city is making strides on the comeback trail.
The grand opening for the store on Jefferson and Chene will be later this month.