Hudson Valley’s Only Remaining 7-Eleven Makes Jarring Change in Hours

It was a disappointment showing up at a closed 7-Eleven recently in the wee hours of the morning.

7-Eleven operates, franchises, and licenses over 78,029 in 19 countries and territories. Founded in 1927 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the retail convenience store chain operates under its namesake brand globally. Within the United States it operates under 7-Eleven nationally. It also operates as Speedway nationally, but mostly in the Midwest and East Coast. It operates as Stripes Convenience Stores within the South Central United States. Both Speedway and Stripes operate alongside 7-Eleven's namesake stores in several markets.

At one time there were plenty of 7-Eleven stores all over the Hudson Valley, but sadly, the majority of the locations have slowly disappeared over the years, leaving just one last standing in the area.

7-Eleven Hooker Ave, Poughkeepsie

Living in the Poughkeepsie area, it's always great to have a 24-hour convenience store, and for many like myself, 7-Eleven is it! When looking to grab a late-night snack and a beverage, or even to fill up on gas, I'll usually hit the 7-Eleven on Hooker Ave in Poughkeepsie.

It's really the only well-stocked 24 hr convenience store in the area, in addition to being the only remaining 7-Eleven in the Hudson Valley, although it was reported in 2020 that 7-Eleven would be returning to the Hudson Valley with 12 new stores. That still remains to be seen.

Well, recently after a late night at the radio station, I decided to swing by the 7-Eleven on Hooker Ave to grab one of those late-night snacks and beverages and was surprised to see an empty parking lot. As I walked up to the door, I was even more surprised to be greeted by a locked door and a sign posted on it.

Dear Customers,

 

We will be closing the store from 1am to 5am due to staff shortage. We will reopen at 5am for your service.

Thank You.

Well, I'll be damned! I never thought I'd see the day that the 7-11 on Hooker Ave would not be open 24 hours. And this also meant no late-night snacks for me.

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It was also just after 1 am when I arrived, so you can imagine the look of disappointment on my face. I did end up stopping in a few days afterward during the day and spoke to a manager. I was curious to know how long the store planned on dealing with the staff shortage and keeping the store closed between the hours of 1 am and 5 am daily. He said that he wasn't sure, but hoped that at some point in the new year they would go back to being 24 hours.

Here's to 2023 with hopes of a 24 hour 7-Eleven returning to Poughkeepsie!