A 7-Eleven customer recorded herself making an iced macchiato at one of the convenience store’s locations, proving that you don’t have to break the bank to enjoy a chilled, caffeinated beverage while out and about.
Franki’s (@breadandfranki) video, however, sparked a conversation about the consistency of these coffee offerings in different 7-Eleven locations, with numerous people mentioning that they probably wouldn’t be able to replicate what she made at the stores they frequent.
“POV: getting iced coffee from 7/11 like I’m in a convenience store in Korea,” she wrote in a text overlay on the video, while adding in a caption for the clip: “I love playing korean convenience store simulator.”
The beginning of the clip starts with Franki filling their cup up with ice. They then grab a caramel-flavored coffee creamer and begin pouring it into the Big Gulp cup, and then another, and then another, and then another.
“Making a macchiato,” she writes in an overlay as she continues to fill the cup up until it’s about 75% filled with ice and creamer.
Next up: caramel syrup and espresso. She grabs the bottle and puts two pumps of the sweetener into the cup. Then, she grabs a paper cup, places it under a fresh coffee machine, and selects the double espresso option. The machine then begins to grind up the beans and shoot out coffee into her cup from the dual dispenser. In the next frame, she takes the paper cup of espresso and then dumps it into the ice and cream concoction.
She shows off the white and brown beverage on camera and then begins to swirl it around—resulting in a convenience store iced macchiato that probably costs a fraction of the amount that dedicated coffee shops charge for them.
According to The Takeout, 7-Eleven has “the best iced coffee” folks would never expect, writing: “Iced coffee from 7-Eleven is perhaps the single most underrated coffee in the quick-service game.”
The outlet even went on to praise the “taps” that exist at some of the convenience store’s locations, highlighting the variety of different beverages that allow for customers to pour themselves a variety of different brewed coffees at their fingertips.
In Franki’s video, however, she quickly brews herself a fresh double espresso and can customize her cup of ice with whatever creamers and flavorings the chain offers.
According to Allrecipes, the most expensive 7-Eleven coffee comes in a 24-ounce cup and guests are charged $2.89—smaller variants, unsurprisingly cost less. But the store has touted that it offers even bigger coffee savings for folks who install its mobile application, writing that 7-Eleven Rewards members can regularly enjoy $1.50 coffees of any size.
This value isn’t something that the chain shies away from, but rather implements as part of its marketing tactics.
“We are always looking to enhance value for our customers, so coffee drinkers who bring their own reusable cup in-store will only pay $1.50 for a regular coffee,” the chain’s CEO and Managing Director, Angus McKay stated in a press release. “By comparison, it’s not uncommon to see a regular coffee cost between $4.50-$5.50. If a customer was to buy a regular coffee every day of the year from 7-Eleven, instead of paying $4 or more elsewhere, they’d still save more than $730 per year.”
The comments section of Franki’s video painted a slightly different picture for most folks, however.
One person wrote: “my 7/11 doesn’t have syrups or espresso only coffee,” which suggests that the way 7/11 franchises are run is ultimately up to the franchise owner. If they’re not looking to maintain a full coffee bar at their store, then customers may not be able to enjoy the same type of caffeinated customizations that Franki was able to make.
It seems that other TikTokers were in this same camp as well. “Where you from cause my 7/11 don’t have espresso,” they said.
“The way i went to try and get iced coffee and the machine was also out of both,” someone else remarked.
“God I would LOVE if my 7/11 had espresso,” a further user said.
@breadandfranki I love playing korean convenience store simulator 😝😝 #koreanconveniencestore #conveniencestore #icedcoffee ♬ original sound – franki
Other commenters were concerned with the amount of creamer Franki dumped into her cup of ice.
“How many little creamers did it take to fill the cup?! Omggg I’m curious,” one wrote.
Another said, “That’s an insane amount of creamer tho.”
However, others saw the benefit of being able to make your own bespoke iced coffee at a 7-Eleven.
As one user wrote: “this is so cute fr & this is actually cost effective too omg.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to 7-Eleven via email and Franki via Instagram direct message for further comment.
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