Taylor 7-Eleven Franchisee Crowned 'Slurpee Queen'
By Edward Cardenas
TAYLOR (CBS Detroit) - When it comes to Slurpee sales, there isn't a 7-Eleven in the United States that sells more of the frozen beverages than the store owned by Rani Singh.
The Taylor franchisee sells about 375 Slurpee drinks a day, but during the summer months, that number grows to 1,000 drinks a day.
Singh, who has owned the Ecorse road store for a decade, credited her success to her loyal customers and dedicated employees.
"Everything is possible because of my employees and my customers," said Singh, who is supports local baseball teams, schools and philanthropic efforts. "I love my customers, they are my first priority."
To honor Singh being tops in Slurpee sales of all 8,300 7-Eleven stores in the United States, the convenience store chain held a special ceremony Wednesday to crown her "Slurpee Queen."
Her commitment to the community and her customers is reflected in sales. The convenience store chain reports that Singh's store had $2 million in sales last year.
She added that the top-selling Slurpees were local flavors including Vernors and Faygo Red Pop and Rock Rye.
"I love, I love, I love kids. I love customers, I love my employees," Singh emphatically stated.
In addition to receiving the honor, Singh's store was remodeled and new Slurpee machines were added. 7-Eleven is also testing a new Lemonade Slurpee machine exclusively at the store that allows customers to add Raspberry, Blueberry, Strawberry or Mango flavor to their Slurpee drinks.
Not only do Taylor residents enjoy Slurpees, Detroiters and Michiganders slurp up the drinks. Stores in Detroit sell about 3.5 times more Slurpees per day than the average U.S. store.
Additionally, 8 out of the top 10 selling stores for Slurpees are in Michigan.
Michigan is also just 25 Slurpees a day away from taking back the "Slurpee Cup" from Canada, according to Nancy Smith, 7-Eleven Senior Vice President of Fresh Foods and Proprietary Beverages.
"This is where it ought to be," Smith said.