River Akira Davis on The Japan Times by way of The New York Times:

The Japanese parent company of 7-Eleven is betting billions of dollars that it can expand its business in the United States by making its convenience stores more like the food meccas they are in Japan.

Convenience stores, or konbini, are an indispensable part of daily life in Japan, known for high-quality fresh food — from seasonal bento boxes to egg salad sandwiches that celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain once called “pillows of love.”

Leading the push to expand Japanese-quality fresh food to 7-Eleven in North America is Stephen Dacus, a Japanese American former Walmart executive who started as CEO of Seven & I Holdings, the 7-Eleven parent company, three months ago.

Following YouTubers like Seerasan, it’s abundantly clear how much better Japanese convenience stores are than those here in the States. If done right, I truly believe that this could thread the needle of fast, fresh, healthy food in places which don’t normally have it, and crucially, make it as convenient — if not more so — than standard fast food.

I really really hope this works out for the best. It could benefit all of us.