The Sweet Feature At Norwegian-Style 7-Elevens America Is Missing Out On

Stepping into an international branch of a familiar restaurant or convenience store can be a disorienting experience. From the outside, its logos and design elements look just about the same, even if the advertisements are in a foreign language. Inside, though, the products on offer are often completely different, tapping into the local culture and tastes. Just like Norway has a heartier Filet-O-Fish on its McDonald's menus, its 7-Eleven stores are equipped with different — and maybe better food options.

Every 7-Eleven offers some kind of sweet frozen treat, but while the Slurpee is the chain's choice in the U.S., in Norway it's a frozen yogurt bar. Soft-serve ice cream has a long history in Norway, but in recent years, health-conscious consumers have let frozen yogurt take over as the dominant dairy confection. Since 2014, 7-Eleven has embraced the trend by putting self-serve frozen yogurt bars in its Norwegian locations.

When a frozen yogurt craze swept the U.S. in the late 2000s, froyo shops popped up all over the place. 7-Elevens in Norway have similarly catered to national demand, just on a smaller scale. In a corner of the store are a handful of self-serve froyo dispensers. Flavors cover the typical gamut, from traditional chocolate and strawberry to less expected varieties like mango and dragonfruit. Beside the dispensers is an array of toppings that customers can add at will. When the cup is filled and topped, it is paid for by weight at about $3.33 per 3.5 ounces.

7-Eleven operates in 19 or so countries, making it the most internationally prominent convenience store chain on Earth. Every nation's 7-Eleven has interesting snacks to try, and Americans abroad often rave about the quality of food in its foreign stores — with Thailand and Japan receiving particularly large quantities of praise. And just as Norway has a whole frozen yogurt bar instead of just a machine filled with funky Slurpee drink flavors like birthday cake, so too do other countries' 7-Elevens switch up the frozen offerings.

Similar to Nordic stores, if you stop into a 7-Eleven in Malaysia, soft serve ice cream is likely to be available in cones or cups of chocolate, vanilla, and swirl. In the Philippines, some locations in Luzon sell something called a Fundae Bun, which looks just like it sounds: soft serve ice cream in a sweet bun. Over in Japan, the novelties take a healthier turn. There, customers can select a cup of pre-mixed fruit from a freezer, pop it into a state-of-the-art machine, and turn it into a freshly blended smoothie.

All of these interesting sweet treats abroad do make the stock at U.S. stores seem a bit paltry by comparison. That said, 7-Eleven is planning major changes to improve its food options, so somewhere down the road Americans might also get to enjoy some cult favorites that keep the convenience store chain relevant on the global stage.