Dollar Hot Dog Day at 7-Eleven®

DALLAS, July 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- 7-Eleven, Inc. is on a roll this July. Kicking off the month was the launch of Doritos Loaded™ cheese snacks, followed by 7-Eleven Day (July 11) with free Slurpee^® drinks and a birthday celebration that runs through Thursday, July 24. And now … National Hot Dog Day.

Participating 7-Eleven^® stores will usher in the unofficial holiday tomorrow, July 23, with $1 Quarter-Pound Big Bite^® all-beef hot dogs. The dollar dogs are available all day at participating stores while supplies last.

Because 7-Eleven is still celebrating its birthday with 7-Eleven Week offers, guests can wash down their Big Bite hot dog with a free Big Gulp^® soft drink, which is the day's free item featured on 7-Eleven's smartphone app.

To redeem the free Big Gulp offer, customers can simply show the barcode found in the "What's in Store" section of the app at the checkout counter of a participating 7-Eleven store. The app offer is limited to one free item per person, per day.

Hot dog fans can build the Big Bite of their dreams with a wide variety of condiments. Hot chili, melted cheese, onions, relish, diced tomatoes, pickles, mayonnaise, sauerkraut, jalapenos, salsa, pico de gallo and, of course, ketchup and mustard are free of charge.

Although 7-Eleven began offering hot dogs in its stores in the early 1970s, its branded Big Bite^® hot dogs rolled out in 1988, along with the company's now ubiquitous roller grills. Big Bite hot dogs are made using a proprietary all-beef recipe created exclusively for 7-Eleven.

Since 1957, July has been designated National Hot Dog Month to celebrate the All-American wiener and bun. And while the simple hot dog may be an all-American favorite, the condiments with which Americans choose to dress their dogs vary across the country. 

7-Eleven customers' regional favorites include … brown mustard and sauerkraut in New York, chili in Kansas City, cheese in the South, jalapenos and pico de gallo in Texas, mayo in Los Angeles and, in the Big Bite hot dog-eating capitol of Washington, D.C., chili and cheese.  

Select Chicagoland stores offer sport peppers, dill pickle spears, sliced tomatoes, celery salt and poppy seed buns to create an authentic Chicago-style experience.

7-Eleven even keeps kosher in Monsey, N.Y., where the store's loyal fans might top their Big Bite hot dogs with hummus, sweet peppers and garlic mayo, toppings exclusive to that store.

"Hot dogs in summertime are as American as baseball, lemonade and, well, 7-Eleven, of course," said Nancy Smith, 7-Eleven senior vice president of fresh foods and proprietary beverages merchandising. "Not only is July National Hot Dog Month, it's also the month when 7-Eleven sells the most Big Bite hot dogs."

The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council estimates that Americans eat more than 20 billion hot dogs each year, almost 40 percent during the peak hot dog season, between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

One legend says the term "hot dog" was coined by a New York cartoonist who couldn't spell the hot "dachshund" sausages he observed a vendor selling during a baseball game.  In a newspaper cartoon, he sketched a real dachshund dog, smeared with mustard, in a bun, being sold by a vendor shouting, "Get your hot dog."

Trivia: Coincidentally, the hot dog holiday ushers in the dog days of summer, named for the star Sirius, or the "dog star." In ancient Rome, the dog days ran from July 23 or 24, when Sirius appeared in the sky, through the same date in August, according to Wikipedia. The time period differs in other traditions, but typically falls in July and August.

About 7-Eleven, Inc.
7-Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience retailing industry. Based in Dallas, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses more than 10,300 7-Eleven® stores in North America. Globally, more than 53,500 7-Eleven stores operate in 16 countries. During 2013, 7-Eleven stores generated total worldwide sales close to $84.5 billion. 7-Eleven has been honored by a number of companies and organizations recently. Accolades include: #2 on Franchise Times Top 200 Franchise Companies for 2013; #3 spot on Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 list for 2012, and #3 in Forbes magazine's Top 20 Franchises to Start. 7-Eleven is No. 3 on Fast Company magazine's 2013 list of the "World's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Retail" and among the Top Veteran-Friendly Companies for 2013 by U.S. Veterans Magazine and on GI Jobs magazine's Top 100 Military Friendly Employers for 2014. Hispanic Magazine named 7-Eleven among its Hispanic Corporate Top 100 Companies that provide the most opportunities to Hispanics. 7-Eleven is franchising its stores in the U.S. and expanding through organic growth, acquisitions and its Business Conversion Program. Find out more online at www.7-Eleven.com.

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SOURCE 7-Eleven, Inc.