Perhaps a fruity, playful red to go with your 7-Eleven hotdog? International convenience store chain’s Ness Avenue location applies for licence to sell beer, wine in planned dining room By: Gabrielle Piché Posted: 6:08 PM CDT Monday, Jun. 5, 2023

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This article was published 05/06/2023 (855 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Beer and wine Slurpees?

Well, not exactly, but adult beverages could be among the offerings in at least one Winnipeg 7-Eleven before long.

The convenience store chain is seeking clearance from the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba to serve alcohol in its location at 3031 Ness Ave.

The store will be getting a makeover — 7-Eleven plans to remodel the site and make space for an eating area with tables and chairs.

“7-Eleven licensed restaurants have been well received by our guests in both Alberta and Ontario, and we are excited to roll out the new concept in Winnipeg,” a company spokesperson wrote in a statement.

If approved, the proposed Ness Avenue licensed restaurant will be the 14th of its kind in Canada and the first in Manitoba.

A notice posted at the store indicates the application is to serve liquor Mondays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m., and on Remembrance Day from 1 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The company did not say when the restaurant is expected to open.

“I think it would be kind of cool, actually,” said Kiana Lindal, pausing on her way into the store.

She normally visits for Slurpees, candy and the occasional hotdog. She welcomed the idea of wine and beer and said she’d sit down with Jersey Cinq-Mars, her companion Monday.

“I don’t know (about) this one specifically, but some 7-Elevens are very prone to having people stealing from them,” Cinq-Mars noted, adding alcohol should be locked up for safety.

It will be if the licence is approved, the 7-Eleven spokesperson said. Staff will complete Smart Choices liquor-handling training and ask for identification from any person who looks 30 years old or younger, they wrote.

“I don’t know, I think you’re asking for trouble,” said Janice Reid, holding her Coca-Cola flavoured Slurpee.

There are already bars in the area, and plenty of kids stop at 7-Eleven, she said, questioning the logic behind a 7-Eleven restaurant, even though plenty of food is available.

Chicken strips, chicken sandwiches and potato wedges cooked in-store daily will be on the menu. So will pizza, hotdogs, taquitos and locally made sandwiches, the company spokesperson said, adding those items are already available for takeout.

“This would come with a pretty significant investment, to create a dedicated dining area,” Shaun Jeffrey, the Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association’s CEO, told the Free Press in an email.

The revamped space would likely seat 10 people, 7-Eleven’s spokesperson wrote.

“I don’t know, I think you’re asking for trouble.”–Janice Reid

The type of licence 7-Eleven has applied for allows for liquor to be sold and consumed in a dining room. It requires sufficient seating for customers, and an operational kitchen used while the licensed dining room is open, said Lisa Hansen, the LGCA’s communications analyst.

“If a licence is issued to 7-Eleven for this application, it will be the first dining-room liquor service licence the LGCA will have issued to 7-Eleven,” she said.

The company won’t be able to stock liquor on the shelves at the Ness location. Shops wanting to sell alcohol must have an agreement with Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries before applying to the LGCA for a liquor retail licence.

The Progressive Conservatives put forward a bill to allow private retailers such as convenience stores to sell alcohol, but Manitoba’s New Democrats delayed the bill in April, preventing its passage before summer.

Alberta was the first province to see 7-Eleven’s licensed restaurants; the chain opened seven in December 2022.

Alberta’s count has since grown to 11, and two have opened in Ontario. One upgraded to licensed status in Niagara Falls last month.

Currently, 7-Eleven’s Winnipeg liquor licence is in its public notice phase. Patrons who take issue with the application have until June 19 to make a formal complaint to the LGCA. They can do so by emailing objection@LGCAmb.ca, mailing a letter to the LGCA’s headquarters at 1055 Milt Stegall Dr., or faxing 204-927-5385.

The company has not said whether it intends to build restaurants in any other Manitoba locations.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com