'Oh Thank Heaven,' 7-Eleven Heading to Morristown

This fall, the Another 24 Hours convenience store will be the location of another 24-hour place to get not only your coffee and bagels, but also your Slurpees, Taquitos and Big Bites.

7-Eleven, the world's largest convenience store chain, is coming to Morristown.

Villa Enterprises, which owns and operates several other businesses in town, including , and , confirmed recently that the home of the Big Gulp would be calling Morristown home by this fall, in the place of the Another 24 Hours convenience store in the Midtown Shopping Center on Morris Street. Villa will serve as the landlord for the property, said a Villa Enterprises spokesperson.

Founded in Dallas, T.X., in 1927, when the store actually was just open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., 7-Eleven is now the world's largest and most recognizable convenience store, with nearly 40,000 locations. It has been owned by Seven & I Holdings, of Japan, since the early 1990s.

7-Eleven will be in direct competition with another convenience chain, , which operates directly across the street from what is currently Another 24 Hours.

Jennifer Wehring, marketing director for the Morristown Partnership business association, said her organization welcomes "anyone filling our vacant space, which we don't have a lot of."

Asked if there was any issue with an international chain taking the place of a local business, Wehring noted 60 cents of every dollar spent at a Morristown business stays local. "We can only assume everyone would benefit from this business coming," she said.

"Whether a local or national brand, it all benefits the healthy mix of downtown Morristown," Wehring said. "We're always looking for diverse brands to contribute to what Morristown has to offer to Morris County community. To us, it doesn't make any difference if you're local or national, we'll support you either way."

Historically, Wehring noted the lion's share of businesses in Morristown have been locally owned, with some boasting lifespans of 25, 50, even 75 years. She noted , also on Morris Street, has been in town for over 100 years.

"It's a good testament to the business climate, the little guys do succeed here," she said.

When it comes to the continued revitalization of downtown Morristown, Wehring said national brands cannot hurt "when we're trying to court additional retailers.

"It can't hurt us in the big picture," she said.