As some of you may or may not know, 20th Century Fox and 7-11 stores nation wide have joined forces to promote the new animated feature film The Simpsons Movie. They are doing this by changing a number of the 7-11 convenience stores into actual Kwik E Marts. On the Fox program, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon works at the local Kwik E Mart in Springfield, Oregon. Now you can find out what it's like to be a part of that animated community.
An Apu look-a-like tends to the store
Both Seann "Imperial" Mantooth and I visited the Kwik E Mart that went up virtually overnight in Burbank, California. I've got to say, it was pretty neat. I actually enjoyed the theme park feel of the establishment. Though, I never thought I'd see a roped off section outside a 7-11. They even have a bouncer. I was also surprised to see that our local 7-11 employees had been replaced by actors wearing make-up to make them look of East Indian decent. What? Were the ethnic locals running the joint not authentic enough?
Notice the line to get in
First Bank of Springfield
I never would have gone had I not been sent this preliminary report by Mantooth. He actually scoped out the market first. Here is the email he sent me:
Hi, folks, Mantooth here...
Well - I made the journey out to Burbank on my lunch break to go to one of the two L.A. area Kwik-E-Marts. Here is my report.
1) It's a complete cluster f***. They have parking attendants and the inside of the store was packed.
2) THERE IS NO DUFF BEER! They decided not to do it. Once again - THERE IS NO DUFF!
3) They have a lot of Buzz Cola, however for $2.99 a six pack - limit one six-pack per person.
4) They have Krusty-O's.
5) They have the pink doughnuts with sprinkles on them.
6) They did a pretty good job of rebranding the 7-11 into a Kwik E Mart. Everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - says Kwik E Mart instead of 7-11.
7) In a bizarre decision, they have actors - not the actual employees - working in the store with some suit from 20th Century Fox overseeing everything. They have makeup on to make them look East Indian. Yes - you read that right. So, they displaced the ACTUAL minority employees for FAKE minority employees. There are only 12 Kwik E Marts in the entire United States, so I'm sure this was to prevent theft of the collectable stuff.
8) I ended up getting a Homer hat that says, "This is Everyone's fault except mine" and a six-pack of Buzz Cola.
Bart and Milhouse enjoy a snack!
All in all, I'm not sure if it's worth making a big trip to check out but if you're in the area of Burbank or Venice Beach, it's kind of cool and fun. The two big collectable things are the Buzz Cola and the boxes of Krusty Os. Everything else is either perishable or general Simpsons stuff you can get online.
As a side note: They are selling the Simpsons merchandise at EVERY 7-11 - not just the ones that are made up to look like the Kwik E Mart.
So, if you want to pick up a box of Krusty O's or Buzz Cola, you don't need to drive all the way to Burbank or Venice.
Hi, B. Alan again...
When I went, the parking lot was absolutely packed and people tried to steal my parking spot. And there were people taking pictures in traffic. I didn't feel like standing in the very long line, so all of the pictures I took were from outside the store. That said; it was well worth the trip to see the conversion. Here is a list of all the 7-11s that have been changed into Kwik E Marts:
Burbank, CA While looking for Homer's star on the Walk of Fame, be sure to stop by Kwik-E-Mart in Burbank. 1611 West Olive Avenue, Burbank, CA 91506
Chicago, IL The Windy City makes room for The Simpsons. 6754 W. 63rd Street, Chicago, IL 60638
Dallas, TX It's rumored that there are only two things in Texas, steers and The Simpsons! 6833 West Northwest Highway, Dallas, TX 75225
Denver, CO See the finest Kwik-E-Mart this side of the Rockies! 303 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203
Lake Buena Vista, FL/Orlando, FL The Florida sunshine adds color to The Simpsons. 12298 Apopka-Vineland Road, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Las Vegas, NV/Henderson, NV What happens in Springfield stays in Springfield. 1400 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway, Henderson, NV 89012
Los Angeles, CA Is the City of Angels ready for The Simpsons? 11143 Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90034
New York City, NY The Great White Way makes room for The Great Yellow Way! 345 W. 42nd Street, New York City, NY 10036
San Francisco, CA/Mountain View, CA Clang, clang, clang went the Squishee; ding, ding, ding went the Hot Dog! 1380 Pear Avenue, Mountain View CA, 94043
Seattle, WA Lisa won't have far to go to save a tree in the Pacific Northwest. 362 Denny Way, Seattle, WA 98109
Vancouver, BC/Coquitlam, BC O' Canada - oh Homer! 1198 Landsdowne St., Coquitlam, British Columbia V3E 1J7
Washington, DC/Bladensburg, MD The heart of the nation welcomes Apu and the cast of The Simpsons Movie. 4199 Kenilworth Avenue, Bladensburg, MD 20710
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