March 1, 2021 (2 Minute Read)
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A new bar may be hitting your local scene. 7-Eleven has applied for 61 liquor licences across Ontario.
If the liquor licence application is approved, you may be able to post up at a 7-Eleven for a few inexpensive boozy drinks. Maybe a beer to go with your chili cheese nachos or a glass of wine to pair with your chicken taquitos.
According to a recent public notice from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, the international convenience store chain has applied for permits to start serving alcohol at their 61 locations in Ontario. This includes the two 7-Eleven sites in Brampton: 150 Main Street North and 140 Father Tobin Road.
The company has applied to get Liquor Sales Licences “for on-site consumption only,” once pandemic restrictions prohibiting indoor drinking and dining allow it. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario(AGCO) has specified that 7-Eleven’s application is for an indoor area to consume alcohol, essentially a bar area in the convenience store. “Given its current business model, 7-Eleven would not be eligible to offer takeout and delivery of liquor with food orders,” AGCO said.
7-Eleven is still very early in the process, only entering the public notice phase. At this phase, AGCO notifies the public of the request and allows the public to object to it. For information on the specific locations or to file an opinion, please see the AGCO site here by March 11, 2021. Twenty-eight days after the request, the AGCO will review any objections and may submit them for the applicant to address.
7-Eleven Canada provided a statement following the submission of their application:
“To complement our fresh food and hot food programs, we are preparing for in-store service of a small selection of Ontario-made beer and wine products, offered during limited hours, and in designated consumption areas of our stores. Should we be successful in obtaining licences, all staff handling alcohol products will be SmartServe trained.
7-Eleven Canada is a responsible retailer and a trusted partner of the federal and provincial governments, controlling access to age-restricted products for over 25 years. We are committed to meeting the needs of our Ontario customers and we look forward to the opportunity to grow jobs and contribute to the Ontario economy.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario is currently reviewing our licence applications.”
This application may set future precedence in the possible transition of selling beer and wine at convenience stores, a campaign promise from Premier Doug Ford. Through a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by CBC News, it has come to light that Ford met at 7-Eleven’s corporate headquarters in Irving, Texas on Feb. 10, 2020, with the company’s chief operating officer, Chris Tanco.
Will 7-Eleven be the first convenience stores to sell alcohol? At this time, we do not know, and we also do not know if you can soon add booze to your Slurpee.