With more than 50,000 locations around the world, 7-Eleven is one of the most successful convenience store chains of all time. Abu Musa ran one of the stores in south Boston for a number of years, and thought he could one-up the corporate behemoth.
So Musa opened his own store, and did just that. He opened a store across the street from his old employer. The name of Musa’s store? 6-Twelve.
According to the Boston Globe, Musa opened a 7-Eleven store in Boston in 2005. Though things went well initially, Musa eventually grew tired of having to deal with 7-Eleven’s hot food options. He claimed the items never sold well and cost him money.
South Boston Man Upset With 7-Eleven Opens 6-Twelve Store Across The Streethttps://t.co/EdPCbHDqEe pic.twitter.com/38sWyuljIU
— WBZ Boston News (@cbsboston) May 31, 2017
But that turned out to be just the beginning. In 2011, he says a 7-Eleven consultant ordered Musa to begin serving pizza and chicken wings in addition to the other hot foods at his store. Despite his objections, he says he was forced to sell the items and hire an additional worker to man the hot foods counter.
Eventually, 7-Eleven revoked Musa’s franchise, claiming he failed to ring in certain purchases at the cash register. Musa refused to give up the store, and sued the chain. He eventually settled in court for an undisclosed sum.
But Musa wasn’t done. To stick it to 7-Eleven, he opened a store right across the street from a Boston 7-Eleven, and aptly named it 6-Twelve. According to CBS Boston, Musa says half of his customers are former customers of the 7-Eleven.
“I know the price of everything in that store,” Musa told The Globe. “I sell the same things cheaper.”
Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.
