7-Eleven Challenge

7-Eleven challenge part of new season of 'The Apprentice'

7-Eleven Inc. says it will be one of the companies to challenge candidates with a business task during the fifth season of NBC's "The Apprentice." The episode involving the 7-Eleven product will air April 17.

"7-Eleven rolls out hundreds of new products each year," said Joe DePinto, president and CEO of Dallas-based 7-Eleven. "This particular item is the first of its kind; nothing like it exists in the market, and we're very excited about it. Building on that, we thought it would be interesting to do something else we've never done before: challenge the best and brightest business entrepreneurs on 'The Apprentice' to come up with out-of-the-box ideas to introduce a new product that is completely novel to consumers."

The product will be available for sale at participating 7-Eleven stores the day after the show airs. Until then, it is being kept under wraps.

The convenience-store chain operates or franchises more than 5,800 7-Eleven stores in the United States and Canada and licenses more than 23,600 stores in 17 countries and U.S. territories.

Published March 8, 2006 by the Dallas Business Journal