What's behind Seattle convenience? Today So Far

• Where are Seattle's 7-Elevens going?
• Seattle is preparing for the next heat wave, whenever it strikes.

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for June 26, 2023.

For most of my independent life, 7-Eleven has been there for me. At 16, with a fresh drivers license, I would pack up my Volkswagen Vanagon with friends and head to the nearest 7-Eleven, where a high schooler could afford to shop, mostly for slurpees. While other cars had retro dice hanging from their rearview mirrors, I had these little brains in ice cubes, which were slurpee brain freezes. Upon realizing that most of the processed treats in the store were not good for anybody, ever, I shifted to the quick sandwiches and apples.

Even when I lived in Portland, where there is a Plaid Pantry on nearly every corner, I sought out the rare 7-Eleven near Portland State University, where the coffee bar kicked off my modern love of the store. This is my tip for the old school, gritty, Northwesterner. If you find a 7-Eleven with a coffee bar, you're set. You don't need another coffee spot. I don't care how fancy, hip, boutique, rare, or crafted the coffee is at whatever bourgeois Seattle cafe folks hype — if you've got a flannel shirt and a used car with a tailpipe that competes with the Pedro the Lion you're blasting, this coffee is for you.

For Seattle Times business reporter Paul Roberts, his 7-Eleven love is based on orange-flavored Hostess cupcakes.

"They've got orange icing on them. They were my secret shame, but they were always there," Roberts told "Seattle Now." "If you went to the Safeway, you could get a whole box of them, but I didn't want to admit I had this problem. So I would be able to walk up the two blocks to the 7-Eleven and get it."

During one such cupcake pilgrimage, Roberts discovered that his local 7-Eleven was closed, for good. This simple fondness for an orange cupcake led him to discover that other quick-stop shops in Seattle have also been closing. There are many reasons. Crime is cited as an issue. The pandemic also hit hard. There are labor shortages. And the company has reportedly made complicated policies that can make things difficult for franchise owners.

"It's like the problems they are facing complicates your impulse purchase. You don't really want to think about the particulars, the economic, and social structures behind this thing that allows you to have your Hostess cupcake. You just want to get it ... the more times you go there, you more you get to know the person, and you get to know the struggles they are facing. Like the guy who is there at two in the morning, when you happen to be there and you're thinking to yourself, 'Why are you here?' I'm up because I couldn't sleep. You're here because this was the job you could find.' It just forces you to recognize that there is this whole economy and labor market behind the provision of convenience that we don't really have to pay attention to until it is taken away from us."

There's more to this story. Roberts discusses his most recent reporting on Seattle's waning 7-Elevens on today's "Seattle Now." Check that out here.

Seattle is preparing for the next heat wave, whenever it strikes. Officials say things will be different next time.

The 2021 heat dome was a bit of a wake-up call for the Northwest. The region is prepared for a lot of conditions, but heat is generally not something folks have thought about. In Seattle, the city is funding air conditioning upgrades at 13 community centers. Those buildings will also get solar power and backup power. All this will be rolled out over the coming five years. There is also a local effort to increase the tree canopy in Seattle, which would provide greater cooling capacity, but that will take years to produce.

At home, most folks still don't have air conditioning units. This is especially true for lower-income residents. A recent UW Climate Impact Report notes that, “Only 34% of households that earn $50,000 or less in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties have AC in their home, and just 29% of rented houses in these three counties have them installed."

Those are just a few insights from John Ryan's recent coverage of Seattle's heat wave upgrades. Check out the full story here.

AS SEEN ON KUOW

Sunday, June 25, 2023, in downtown Seattle. KUOW's Megan Farmer's recent photo gallery is all about Seattle Pride. Check it out here. (Megan Farmer / KUOW)

DID YOU KNOW?

Happy belated birthday, MoPOP! In its 23 years growing in Seattle, it has gone through quite a few personality changes.

On June 23, 2000, Paul Allen unveiled his latest ($240 million) passion project — a center for all things music, called the "Experience Music Project." The name was a nod to Seattle's Jimi Hendrix. Over time, more passions were added, and the space grew to include a sci-fi museum and pop culture attractions. Which is why its name evolved into the "Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame." That was cut down too "EMP|SFM" and eventually "EMP." A lot of folks got to know it as the EMP. By 2016, there was a lot of diversity of pop culture happening under its roof. Artifacts from Northwest music history were still there, but also features dedicated to the fantasy genre, sci-fi movies, and horror. It also hosted a variety of traveling attractions. So it rebranded yet again to what we call it today — MoPOP, aka the Museum of Pop Culture.

ALSO ON OUR MINDS

Mitch Landrieu is Biden's man to rebuild America and deliver broadband to millions

"Knowledge is the great equalizer. If you don't have access to technology, in order to access that knowledge, then you get left behind," said Mitch Landrieu, President Biden's point person to get broadband internet to those who need it.

SUBSCRIBE TO TODAY SO FAR