Is it a Slurpee crisis? Popular Tri-Cities 7-Eleven has closed its doors

A sign on the 7-Eleven at 3606 W. Clearwater Ave. in Kennewick says it is closed until further notice.

A video posted to a Tri-Cities Facebook group showed the hand-written sign taped to store’s front.

The Benton Franklin Health District spokesperson said that they received information that the closure in Kennewick could be related to COVID cases. The district was investigating the report.

The phone number for the store went to a voicemail that was not set up.

The location was the nation’s champion in Slurpee sales in 2007. In August of that year, the store sold more Slurpees than any other 7-Eleven location in North America and was the leader in sales for the year in the United States.

The franchise owner of the 7-Eleven on Wright Avenue said that he heard it had closed, but had no information about the reason.

He said he has no intention of closing his location.

Employees at other locations the Herald contacted did not have information about the closure either.

Commenters on the social media post said that the Pasco stores on Sylvester Street and Court Street also has been closed. No one answered the phone at either location, and the Herald was unable to immediately confirm its closure.

The health district could not confirm that the Pasco location was closed but was pending an investigation into COVID cases there as well.

A Herald reader also said that the Hermiston 7-Eleven was closed as well. A call to the store went unanswered.

Messages left for the corporate office Thursday and Friday were not returned.

The Tri-Cities has three 7-Eleven locations in Richland at 415 Wright Ave., 1540 Jadwin Ave. and 2411 George Washington Way and two in Pasco at 1504 W. Sylvester St. and 4313 W. Court St.

This story was originally published August 5, 2021 at 4:10 PM.