The race to autumn and hot seasonal coffee drinks usually comes down to Starbucks and Dunkin’, but this year an unexpected underdog took the lead: 7-Eleven. The convenience store chain announced that the Pumpkin Spice Latte and other fall-themed drinks are available now in select locations around the country. With heat waves still projected in the weeks to come, a reminder of falling leaves and cool breezes may be welcome.
According to a press release by 7-Eleven, Inc., the store’s version of the Pumpkin Spice Latte became available starting on Aug. 1 in select 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes locations. Along with it came the Pumpkin Coffee – a flavored coffee without the usual cream that comes with Pumpkin Spice – and the Pumpkin Syrup – a thick sweetener that can help customize an ordinary drink. The company’s senior vice president Dennis Phelps explained this year, 7-Eleven didn’t want to make customers wait for their favorite flavor.
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“We know our customers wait all year long for their favorite fall flavors…so we decided to break out the pumpkin a little bit early this year,” he said. “It may not quite feel like fall outside yet, but it sure can taste like fall as we enjoy the first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season.”
Along with the drinks, 7-Eleven will also be carrying an Apple Cider Donut for a limited time, along with the usual bakery items like Apple Snack Pie or Apple Danish. The company said that other fall favorites like the Pumpkin Muffin are coming later this month.
This autumnal spirit may be starting up at over 13,000 stores around the country, but it’s starting from a surprising place. The headquarters for 7-Eleven is in Irving, Texas, where heat waves have raged the community this summer. Even in October, the area is not likely to see the same foliage and crisp weather that characterizes fall in the collective imagination. Thankfully, the Pumpkin Spice Latte is there to do the heavy lifting.
