IRVING, Texas — With the launch of its newest Seven Reserve coffee variety, more than half of 7-Eleven’s coffee is made from Rainforest Alliance Certified beans, the company said.
The new medium-roast flavor, El Salvador Bourbon Single Origin, has an orange-blossom aroma, a sweet-citrus zest and a rich caramel finish, the company said. It is 7-Eleven’s first coffee sourced directly from independent family farmers and the seventh to carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal. 7-Eleven hand-selected the coffee beans from the Tacubaya Estate Coffee Farms in El Salvador, according to the company.
"This single-origin coffee is a true 'farm-to-cup' experience that coffee lovers can only get at 7-Eleven stores," said Michelle Cram, senior platform manager of hot beverages for 7-Eleven. "El Salvador Bourbon also celebrates a unique time in 7-Eleven history, as we have completed a direct trade by meeting with the coffee farmers. We worked closely with our roasting partners to identify the ideal roast level for this specific bean to ensure we were offering our coffee customers the absolute best cup possible."
7-Eleven introduced the Seven Reserve coffee line in March 2018 with its Africa Blend, a 50-50 blend of 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified Arabica beans from Ethiopia and Rwanda. The company also offers coffees from Nicaragua, Mexico, Peru, Sumatra and Colombia. Single-origin, 100% Colombian Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee is now a permanent offering and top seller on the hot beverage bar, 7-Eleven said.
"We know our customers care about coffee crops that are responsibly grown and sourced from small farms," Cram said. "7-Eleven coffee drinkers recognize great quality and taste, and the premium Rainforest Alliance Certified coffees have become some of our most sought-after hot beverages."
Responsible sourcing of coffee and coffee packaging rolls up into 7-Eleven’s corporate social responsibility goals. The retailer is working toward a 20% reduction in its energy and packaging footprint by 2025.
7-Eleven Inc. operates, franchises or licenses more than 66,000 stores in 17 countries, including about 9,200 in the United States. The chain ranked No. 1 on CSP’s 2019 Top 202 ranking of c-store chains by total number of company-owned retail units.
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