The seasonal creep of pumpkin spice is one of those things we’ve all had to learn to live with. We’ve also had to learn to accept the expansion of pumpkin spice from lattes to things like Oreos and Cheerios. But 7-Eleven may have finally gone too far.
The retail chain announced Thursday plans to roll out its pumpkin-flavored Slurpee drink to select stores nationwide.
(Here. Take a minute. We had to do that too.)
Before pumpkin spice addicts and TikTok influencers rush out, it’s worth noting that when the chain says “choose,” it’s not kidding. Only five stores—located in Texas, Ohio, California, and New York—will carry the unique frozen drink.
“7-Eleven customers are big fans of pumpkin spice, so we’re always looking for reasons to bring pumpkin out a little early and delight customers with new creations,” said Dennis Phelps, senior vice president of marketing (cabinet and specialty beverages) at 7-Eleven. In a press release“Introducing Pumpkin Spice Slurpee is a fun experience for Slurpee lovers in some of our leading markets.”
7-Eleven isn’t stopping at Slurpees. The company is also rolling out a pumpkin cream flavored cold brew, pumpkin spice coffee, and pumpkin spice latte starting Thursday at most stores, as well as Stripes locations. Fans can also get the drinks delivered to them via the 7Now delivery app.
Starbucks is still the king of pumpkin spice season. While it’s not quite the cultural phenomenon it was a few years ago, the drink still has a huge fan base. It’s expected to go on sale sometime on August 22nd. According to food influencersStarbucks has not officially announced any dates yet.
As of Thursday, nearly a quarter of the country remained under heat or extreme heat warnings, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s heat risk map.
