7-Eleven Inc., Plano, Texas, introduced its second single-origin coffee. Hailing from the Chiapas region of Mexico, the sustainable, premium coffee is Rainforest Alliance Certified and exclusively available at participating 7-Eleven stores. Last fall, the convenience store retailer introduced its first single-origin coffee, which is sourced from Nicaragua.
This single-origin coffee from Chiapas is exclusively made from beans harvested in the mountainous highlands of southern Mexico, an area known for its dense rain forests and ancient Mayan ruins. It offers notes of cocoa balance the full-bodied, dark roast, which has a smooth, clean finish, the company says.
7-Eleven coffee drinkers' taste preferences continue to shift toward darker, richer flavors, it says. With 100 percent Colombian coffee experiencing the fastest growth in its hot beverage lineup, the retailer introduced its darker roast, single-origin coffee from Nicaragua last fall. The new, Mexican single-origin coffee offers a bolder approach, with roast levels falling between the Colombian and Brazilian bold flavors giving consumers more of a selection of flavor profiles, it adds.
"Colombia, Brazil, Nicaragua and now Mexico ... these dark roast coffees sourced in Latin America are some of the most popular with 7-Eleven coffee-lovers," said Nancy Smith, 7-Eleven senior vice president of fresh food and proprietary beverage merchandising, in a statement. "When we began our sustainable coffee program, we naturally looked for robust flavor profiles that they would love to drink even more, knowing that doing so had minimal impact on the environment. Working with the Rainforest Alliance gives us assurances that we, as a company, are helping to foster sustainable farming practices that protect natural resources."
For 30 years, the Rainforest Alliance has sought to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods. Carrying the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal with the little green frog means that the 100 percent Arabica beans for 7-Eleven stores' new coffee are sourced from coffee growers whose farms are required to meet strict standards designed to protect the environment, conserve wildlife and promote the well-being of local communities, it says.
"The Rainforest Alliance is proud to be working with 7-Eleven, a company that understands the value of sustainably sourced coffee and shares our belief that everyday actions add up to meaningful impact," said Alex Morgan, Rainforest Alliance global director of markets transformation, in a statement.
All 7-Eleven coffee varieties, flavors and blends are exclusive, with roasting levels and specifications exclusively developed for the retailer. The global convenience store chain is the fourth largest coffee retailer in the United States, it says.
In 2016, 7-Eleven began working with Conservation International (CI) to set measurable corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals to reduce its environmental footprint. 7-Eleven's CSR mission has three focus areas — planet, products and people. The retailer also joined CI's Business and Sustainability Council, a forum for corporate leaders taking positive environmental actions in their businesses, to explore mutually beneficial ways to further reduce its environmental impact, the company says.
As part of its CSR objectives, 7-Eleven will continue to seek out responsibly sourced coffees and other products and packaging with less environmental impact, it adds.
Like all its proprietary beverages sold in a cup, the new single-origin coffee qualifies for 7Rewards, 7-Eleven's customer loyalty program.
