Dawning of a new drink - and DREAM

IT HAS arrived.

Not the distinguished delegation of extra-terrestrials Trekkies have long been waiting for. Please, even news of that would probably not be here on the paper.

But of a convenience store? Now that’s a different story. Extra, extra. Read all about it!

It’s been a chaotic month so far in some of the selected sites where these stores are operating, but totally for good reason. No matter how a few skeptics might scoff at some people right now for excitedly embracing the arrival of 7-Eleven—the fact remains. People just love it when a good name is around town.

Be those rock bands, restaurants etc. By the looks of it, convenience stores are not exempted. For the record: 7-Eleven has officially landed in Cebu.

To call a photo posted by a contact on Facebook of his first locally served Slurpee “cheesy” would be pretty unfair and subject to opinion. But okay, there are times when the excitement gets a little bit out of hand. But under regular circumstances—a toast to the company’s trademark drink.

This so-called Slurpee is a frozen flavored drink sold by 7-Eleven in its stores all around the world. It would more or less taste like soda that one accidentally leaves in the freezer an hour too long. Pull it out, and notice how the drink has become rather slushy.

According to online resources, the idea of serving frozen beverages came in the late 1950s when a particular Omar Knedlik invented the machines that would be able to produce the cool drink. It all started when Knedlik’s soda fountain conked out on him, so that he was forced to store his drinks in the freezer. Seeing how his sodas turned out to be rather “different,” Knedlik decided to turn it into a business.

Major buzz about the drink quickly followed, so Knedlik hired an artist to help him create a name and logo for the invention.

After a few business deals here and there, the 7-Eleven company was allowed to sell the drinks in its stores—but under a different name. It was in the year 1967 then, when the Slurpee was “born.”

More than half a century later, the drink, and all that comes with the store, is now made accessible in Cebu. According to news reports, Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI), the marketer of fuel brand Caltex, would have already launched six 7-Eleven convenience stores in selected gas stations by today. (In 2009, CPI partnered with the Philippine Seven Corp., the local franchisor of 7-Eleven).

And the branches are not only limited to those mentioned, but have even sprawled in several other locations all over Cebu. There’s the two-storey branch at Escario Central. There are also branches at Tune Hotel, JY Square mall, one at Bigfoot, Ramos and one across the University of Cebu-Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue campus. Other more branches are expected in the near future.

Yes, at a not-so-slow pace, the brand is establishing a base in the Queen City of the South. Not a bad thing at all for a progressive metro. Sure, the Slurpee has its share of die-hard fans. But it’s more than a drink that has dawned upon this entire city really. It’s that chilling realization of a dream coming to life from a lifestyle and commercial standpoint. Simply put: it’s about time.

Probably a year from now, that awaited alien invasion would make more news sense already.