Every July 11, everyone gets a special gift from the 7-Eleven gods; brain freeze. It’s that time of the year again, celebrating its 84th birthday, 7-Eleven is handing out free 7.11 oz Slurpees to customers. Customers can receive any flavor free Slurpee, free of charge at any participating 7-Eleven.
According to USA Today, 7-Eleven expects to give away 5 million 7.11-ounce Slurpees today. What’s more interesting than those numbers, 7-Eleven vice president of marketing Nancy Smith said Slurpee sales in general raised 38%.
“Slurpee drinkers are some of the most loyal fans we have,” said Smith. “They come here to have fun.” Laura Gordon, Slurpee senior brand director said, “You get a taste of it and you choose to have more.”
The Slurpee is a frozen, carbonated beverage that was invented in 1959 by a Kansas hamburger-stand owner. The stand owner used an automobile air conditioner, which created an interesting piece of equipment that would freeze a carbonated soft drink and serve it in a “sherbet-like form that could be sipped through a straw.”
Each Slurpee machine has a compact refrigeration system that mixes syrup, carbon dioxide and water under pressure in a freezing chamber. Then, the Slurpee is served at a cold and frosty 28 degrees. Since it’s beginning in 1965, more than 6 billion Slurpee drinks have been consumed. Each month, roughly 13 million Slurpee drinks are consumed.
If you go to Slurpee.com, you can download tiny hats and confetti to celebrate this historic day. Photograph yourself and post a picture on the Slurpee Facebook and you can win prizes.
Another fun fact, 7-Eleven used to operate between the hours of 7 a.m. – 11 p.m. The store is now open 24 hours, 7 days a week. Be sure to stop at your local 7-Eleven to cool down from this hot July heat.
