This Convenience Store Chain Claims To Sell 100 Million Hot Dogs Per Year

Many American classics trace back to immigrants, and the hot dog is no exception. Sausages are an ancient food with thousands of years of international history, but even the processed hot dog as we know it was a creation of German immigrants in the late 1800s. And today, one of America's biggest hot dog retailers is a convenience store.

The convenience store that's sometimes also a gas station, 7-Eleven, typically sells in excess of 100 million hot dogs every year — about enough for 30% of the country to have one per year. But those numbers suggest millions of people consider a 7-Eleven hot dog a go-to snack or meal, and for good reason. Toppings vary by store, but the fact that the purchase price includes chili, nacho cheese, diced onions, jalapeños, pico de gallo, relish, pickles, and sauerkraut — plus ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise — is surely a big draw for this budget meat. And ever since 7-Eleven debuted its proprietary all-beef Big Bite hot dogs in 1988, it's a particular flavor you can only get there.

7-Eleven's quarter pound Big Bite is one of the gas station hot dogs customers say are the best, whether or not your particular store is actually a gas station. It's a substantial bite with a distinct, reliable flavor and plenty of free toppings (though not enough to recreate Anthony Bourdain's favorite hot dog, a staple of the Midwest.) But that might change.

7-Eleven has some big changes coming this year, one of which is that the 1,000+ new stores that begin opening this year will have more of a focus on prepared foods. As traditional fast food becomes more expensive, hot and prepared items from convenience stores will be more attractive to consumers. 7-Eleven's vision for these new stores presumably includes the stalwart Big Bite.

7-Eleven's ongoing emphasis on prepared foods highlights the range of options available and, for at least some consumers, the pairing possibilities with a Big Bite. One of Costco's famous food court hacks is easy to recreate at 7-Eleven by wrapping a Big Bite in a slice of pizza. It's potentially a more casual way to try out this decadent food court menu hack without planning an entire trip to Costco. And as one of America's favorite hot dogs, it clearly brings its own appeal to the table.