Two years ago, South Texas restaurant Laredo Taco Co. opened at 7-Eleven’s first Evolution Store in Dallas. Now, the c-store chain is unveiling its first-ever Laredo Taco Co. drive-through restaurant, located at Park Lane and Abrams Road in Dallas.
The restaurant has indoor seating as well and shares space with the newest 7-Eleven Evolution Store – the third such store in Dallas and the sixth in the nation.
7-Eleven is driving home its commitment to innovation with these Evolution Stores, and no two are exactly alike. This marks the first time 7-Eleven has operated a corporate-owned drive-through restaurant at one of its stores.
“This is delicious news for customers of both 7-Eleven and Laredo Taco Co.,” said Chris Tanco, 7–Eleven executive vice president and chief operating officer. “7-Eleven is known as a beverage destination, and Laredo Taco Company makes some of the best quick-serve Mexican food anywhere. Throw in the convenience of grabbing a taco paired with a Slurpee drink through a drive-thru, and it’s a match made in heaven.”
Laredo Taco Co. is famous for its authentic tacos served on handmade flour tortillas that are made from scratch in its restaurants every day and fresh salsa bar with a wide selection of salsas and pico de gallo. Tacos and meals include specialties not always seen in quick-serve Mexican restaurants such as authentic beef barbacoa, chorizo, carne asada, carnitas and breakfast tacos made with fresh-cracked eggs.
At the new Laredo Taco Co. drive-through, taco fans can now order a Slurpee drink with their meal in a single stop, which is also a first for the iconic 7-Eleven beverage. If breakfast is too early for a Slurpee drink, customers can choose a cup of fresh-brewed coffee. Hot or iced coffee and espresso drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos are also available.
Inside the restaurant, diners can toast their tacos with wine-based frozen margaritas, beer or wine for on-premises consumption.
As a beverage destination, 7-Eleven is always looking for new thirst-quenchers, and the Evolution Stores are where some of new drink ideas make their debuts. Refreshing smoothies, shakes, sodas, flavored still and sparkling waters, and cold brew coffee can be customized as well. Unique sodas are a new Evolution Store feature, with flavors such as ginger beer, black cherry, pineapple coconut, diet key lime and diet cherry vanilla. Sparkling and still water flavors include lemon ginger, strawberry rose, coconut lime, cucumber mint and mango.
Each 7-Eleven Evolution Store is an experiential testing ground, where customers can try and buy the retailer’s latest innovations in a pioneering store format. Already this year, the retailer plans to open new concept stores in North Texas and Manassas, Va., with more planned later in the year.
7-Eleven opened four Evolution Stores last year in New York City, Washington, D.C., San Diego and Dallas. All include a restaurant concept, and the retailer continues to tweak the design and product mix based on customer feedback and shopping habits. The most popular features have become staples that knowing customers seek out.
The new store is one of a growing number to offer mobile checkout and delivery. With the 7Rewards loyalty program, in-store customers can skip the checkout counter and pay for their purchases on their phone. The convenient feature is found in the 7-Eleven app. The 7NOW delivery app also lets customers order favorite 7-Eleven foods, beverages, groceries and household products to be delivered straight to their door.
7-Eleven acquired the Laredo Taco Co. restaurants along with Stripes convenience stores in South Texas as part of the 1,000-store acquisition from Sunoco in 2018.
Based in Irving, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 72,800 stores in 17 countries, including 12,000 in North America.