CHAIN STILL GOOD TO GO AT 75 7-ELEVEN MARKS BIRTHDAY WITH EYE ON MORE CONQUESTS.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

From its humble roots pushing groceries and ice to hungry Texans to being the store on seemingly every street corner, 7-Eleven has seen a slew of changes in its 75 years.

``We invented coffee to go, we were the first to have an ATM, the first to have a self-serve soft-drink machine, and the first to offer a super size,'' said Lori Niles, a senior field consultant for the Dallas-based convenience chain.

The chain has much to congratulate itself for in its 75th year, with celebrations throughout the week nationwide. In addition to those now-ubiquitous Big Gulps and hot cups of Cafe Select, the chain has built itself on cigarettes, Big Bite hot dogs and its signature Slurpee. It also pioneered television advertising and the 24-hour format that antiquated its own moniker. It boasts more than 22,000 stores throughout the world, bringing in $9.78 billion in annual revenue in 2001.

Its connection to Southern California is particularly strong, with 575 stores spread throughout the region. One of its first local spots, at Burbank Boulevard and Case Avenue in North Hollywood, still serves up Double Gulps to go, with business proceeding as usual each day since 1964.

But with grocery chains and other retailers competing for time-strapped customers and stock prices edging up from a 52-week low of $6.80 in late May, the chain has unleashed a slew of tactics to keep it buoyant for years to come.

Company leaders are at work devising a delivery distribution plan to bring fresh sandwiches, doughnuts and milk into stores daily; up to 300 new store locations are planned nationwide in the next two years, including a new spot in Panorama City; and an innovative new money-handling system will debut in 1,000 stores later this year. Developed by scanner and cash register giant NCR, the Web-enabled Vcom kiosks will function as ATMs; check-cashing machines; money transfer sites; and e-commerce portals hawking tickets, lottery results and travel directions.

New formats are also in the works, Niles said, as the chain strives to become even more universal in its scope.

``A lot of the land in prime locations is saturated, so you have to look for new locations,'' she said. ``You can't get that corner lot in Los Angeles any more. They're looking for new opportunities - urban areas, walk-up stores and universities. They're even going into an airport in Washington.''

Fred Garza, a commercial diver stopping into that original local spot in North Hollywood for a Cafe Cooler, has been to more than he can remember. As far as he's concerned, the chain will have a hard time getting more ever-present.

``No matter where you go, they're always the same,'' he said. ``You pull in late at night, looking for a cup of coffee, the people are always courteous and it's always clean.''

And when the mercury rises sky high, as it has in recent days at Mario Avila's North Hollywood home, nothing beats the air-conditioned store and the cold ones awaiting him in the freezer aisle.

``I come in every day to buy coffee,'' he said, eyeing a 12-pack of Miller Genuine Draft and wiping his brow. ``But days like this, I buy a lot more beer than coffee.''

7-ELEVEN FUN FACTS

The 7-Eleven convenience store celebrates its 75th birthday today. Some fun facts:

--The company's first convenience outlets were known as Tote'm stores since customers ``toted'' away their purchases. Some stores even had Alaskan totem poles in front.

--The name 7-Eleven originated in 1946 when the stores were open from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m.

--The company opened its first store outside Texas in 1954 in Florida.

Other 7-Eleven firsts:

--It was the first convenience store to operate 24 hours a day and sell coffee in to-go cups and first to have a self-serve soda fountain.

--The company was also the first convenience store to run television ads with an animated commercial featuring a singing owl and rooster that debuted in 1949.

--The ``Oh Thank Heaven for 7-Eleven'' campaign was introduced in 1969.

--In a four-week period, customers visit a 7-Eleven store an average of 17 times - 80 percent of their total trips to any convenience store.

--Who buys the most 7-Eleven stuff? Customers in Detroit buy the most Slurpees; in Washington, D.C., it's hot dogs. Long Islanders buy the most coffee; Coloradans win the nachos contest; and Las Vegas and Utah shoppers buy the most Big Gulp drinks.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) One of the Southland's first 7-Elevens, which opened in 1964, is still slinging the Slurpees at Burbank Boulevard and Case Avenue in North Hollywood. The 75-year-old Texas-based chain has 575 stores in the region in all.

(2) Tony Linares, 17, pours himself a Big Gulp at one of Southern California's oldest 7-Elevens, in North Hollywood.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer

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7-ELEVEN FUN FACTS (see text)