JAKARTA -- In Indonesia's capital, 7-Eleven is not your typical "grab and go" convenience store. It is more like a cafe: Customers sit at tables, eating packaged meals and sipping Slurpee frozen drinks. The store has air conditioning and free Wi-Fi. Open 24 hours a day, every day, 7-Eleven shops have become a favorite haunt for young Indonesians after school or work.
With 176 outlets in the country, the convenience store chain now faces the challenge of growing without drawing the wrath of suspicious regulators, or competitors eager to squash a foreign brand.
