Gas Station Brands You May Not Have Realized Are Owned By 7-Eleven

Most drivers likely prefer some brands of gas stations over others, be that for their convenience offerings, their loyalty schemes, or simply their gas prices. Far fewer drivers are likely to be aware of who they're actually spending money with when they visit their favorite chain, since the ownership of each location can vary even if the sign out front stays the same.

Plenty of gas station brands are owned by parent companies that drivers might not know about, including many foreign companies. Some popular brands are owned by British companies, while others are owned by Canadian companies or even Japanese companies. 7-Eleven is one of the chains with Japanese owners, having been a wholly owned subsidiary of the Tokyo-listed Seven & i Holdings company since 2005. As well as operating gas stations under its own branding, 7-Eleven also owns two more gas station brands, Stripes and Speedway.

It bought its first Stripes locations in 2018 and then acquired the remaining locations in 2024. Speedway is another recent purchase, having been acquired by 7-Eleven in 2021. Those purchases have helped bring 7-Eleven's combined gas station network to over 8,200 locations in total. That network has been gradually expanded over the course of almost a century, with 7-Eleven's predecessor, Tote'm Stores, adding its first fuel locations back in 1928, just a year after its very first convenience location was opened.

As previously mentioned, who operates different locations of a chain can vary, even if the branding doesn't. This is the case for several major gas station brands, including 7-Eleven and its subsidiary brands, because entrepreneurs can open their own 7-Eleven location under the company's franchise program.

To open a 7-Eleven franchise location, entrepreneurs need to have at least $100,000 in cash or other liquid assets, and they'll ideally have experience owning or managing a similar business. If they meet those initial criteria and pass enough further checks, they'll be able to operate their own 7-Eleven franchise location.

The appeal is pretty clear: as well as being recognizable to drivers across the country, 7-Eleven and its sister brands are regarded as being some of the best gas station brands by many drivers. Franchisees get to take advantage of that brand prestige, while 7-Eleven gets another location to add to its ever-growing network.