It looks like Winnipeg’s longtime reign as the world’s Slurpee capital might have come to an end - and the Washington upstarts who are claiming the icy crown couldn’t be happier.
“Our theme is move over Manitoba, Kennewick is king,” boasted Don Mariotto, who owns the only 7-Eleven franchise in the city of Kennewick, Wash.
7-Eleven dubbed Kennewick the “new Slurpee capital of the world” in a press release last week, and since then Mariotto said his phone has been ringing non-stop from curious media and peevish Manitobans.
He said the victory is thanks to a year and a half of heavily promoting Slurpees in the city of 40,000, as well as two neighbouring cities, with a flurry of ‘buy one, get one free’ deals, television appearances, and t-shirt giveaways.
“This has been an 18-month march,” said Mariotto.
Asked to confirm the news, a spokeswoman for 7-Eleven in Canada had no response - just nervous laughter, and a promise to provide more information later this afternoon.
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