Back in 2009, we reported that 7-Eleven had acquired the White Hen Pantry franchises in New England, including the 342 Hanover Street store at the corner of N. Bennet Street.
Over the past few years, most While Hen Pantry locations have been converted to the 7-Eleven brand and format.
A conversion at 342 Hanover St. of the White Hen to 7-Eleven is expected this year, according to employees at the location.
This will result in two 7-Eleven chain stores closely located to each other on Hanover Street. An existing 7-Eleven is already operating at the corner of Commercial Street. 7-Eleven, Inc. is the world’s largest convenience store chain with close to 49,500 stores in 16 countries according to their website.
A number of residents unhappy with the proposed changeover are collecting signatures in a petition to save the White Hen Pantry. One petition is available for signing by seeing Anne Devlin Tagliaferro at 383 Hanover St. (Anzalone Realty, 617 367 1300) or via email.
We don’t want a 7 Eleven at this location. This will totally junk up the neighborhood look. Let’s not let this happen.
It’s bad enough that we have a 7 eleven at the end of Hanover street.. to have a chain such as this in the center of Hanover st would be awful!
Because White Hen is somehow a local business? You do know that they are virtually nationwide as well, right?
what part of “free commerce” don’t people get? One corporation PURCHASED another, its not our right to say this can’t happen, because we live in America.
If you don’t want to shop there? fine, don’t shop there. Voting with your wallet/feet is more effective than any petition ever could be, as capitalism works both ways.
In terms of the “junking up Hanover St” comment, its already junked up with endless lines of cars, people who don’t use the intersections to cross and ancient businesses which don’t wish to improve their goods for today’s market. Neighborhoods are made of people that live there, not this store or that store.
You can spend the rest of your life wishing it was yesterday, or you can build a better tomorrow. Only one of these is possible.
A voice of reason among the “woe is me” crowd.
did you mean CoPPs Hill?
We have 7-11, 1-800-flowers, many banks, soon Pinkberry and it will only take months to have the other mall stores like The Gap, Starbucks, Banana Republic, Coach and others. Has anyone noticed that these stores are not on Charles Street? Is no one concerned about the homogenization of Hanover Street to look like very other Main Street in America?
What’s the difference. One bland convenience chain replaces another.
The difference is that the owner Dan has been in business with the White Hen Pantry for 15 to 20 yrs, has been generous in supporting the neighborhood, Hires locals who are polite, pleasant and efficient, runs a clean well stocked store , has a good deli and respected the neighborhood’s wishes to not apply for a beer and wine package store license. Compare that to the dirty seven 11, with miserable employees who treat everyone with suspicion and sell mostly junk food, cigarettes, beer and lottery tickets.
i would not call the employees at 7-11 miserable. to me, they seem to be very hard working (the same ones are always there) who are trying hard to make it in america. in fact, they are probably not much different that most people immigrants north end 100 years ago you as for junk food, i don’t think mike’s, modern or bova’s is serving up a healthy lifestyle either. beer? at least we can get one without 500% markup like every bar and restaurant charges in the north end. cigarettes? we should be more concerned with disposable of cigarettes than the selling of them in the north end. salem street is essentially an ashtray. lottery tickets? trust me, i have seen a lot of people being separated from their money in the white hen via scratch tickets. in many cases, they seem to be elderly people from the neighborhood – perhaps the most vulnerable. with all that being said, i like the white hen and i shop there and i think the staff is pleasant.
if you don’t like it, buy the building, find a new tenant or open up your own business. i agree that 7-11 is not ideal, but neither is 100 italian restaurants. at least the 7-11 offers residents something different. many of the older timers sold out years ago to the highest bidder for residential properties and now the commericial owners might be doing the same. if you don’t like it, move to beacon hill or even cuba!!
Different…ie, hot dogs on a rotating heat lamp that only a drunk would eat.
If people can’t see the difference between the 7-Eleven and WHP and how the respective businesses are run, then those people must be blind. WHP is the “go to” store on Hanover. Is well stocked and has a great, AFFORDABLE deli w/ great sandwiches, etc. 7-11 is the place you go when everything else is closed.
They only bought the franchises in New England. You can still go to White Hens in New York and New Jersey. I don’t see what good an petition does unless it has anti-trust language in it. In which case, you have no case. Being a franchise operator has always been a sucker’s investment you are always subject to the franchiser’s whim. Let the buyer beware.
While I hate the fact that useless chains are being put in, like Pinkberry, Whitehen has made some crappy mistakes, like the 5 dollar credit card minimum that went up to 8 bucks…. maybe now they will take notice and be more accommodating to the people that keep them open.
Also.. the real fight should be to keep Esther!!!!!