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The Way 7-Eleven Revolutionized How America Drank Coffee In 1964 By Kat Olvera Oct. 28, 2025 9:20 am EST

These days, coffee commuter culture is everywhere. You'd be hard-pressed to find a city in the U.S. that doesn't have a coffee shop or a beloved, local, drive-up coffee kiosk on every corner. Now, a carryout latte could almost be considered a necessity, but coffee wasn't always convenient to take on the go. It wasn't until 1964, when 7-Eleven started offering coffee to go — served in individual cups — that people were able to take their convenience store brew from point A to point B.

The chain got its start as Southland Ice Company in 1927, but it officially became 7-Eleven in 1946 to showcase its longer hours of operation than most grocery stores at

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