No, this 7-Eleven isn't charging $7.11 for gas, even if the internet says so

June 21st, 2022

Despite what the internet may think, this 7-Eleven in Chicago is not selling gas for $7.11. (Matt Beemsterboer)

A photo showing a 7-Eleven gas station charging $7.11 for gas has captured the internet’s attention at a time when pain is being felt at pumps around the world.

The photo was taken by Matt Beemsterboer, 34, who was surprised to see the likes of Elon Musk share it Tuesday, considering the price depicted wasn’t accurate, nor was the photo taken this year.

Beemsterboer was walking roughly three blocks from his home in Chicago in March 2021 when he saw an old Mobil gas station being rebuilt as a 7-Eleven, he told NPR over the phone Tuesday afternoon.

“And so when they were like, setting up, and they didn’t have the pumps active and the store was still being built out. They had the sign up, and they just put it up as $7.11. And I just thought it was kind of funny,” Beemsterboer said.

The price of gas at the station today was $6.09, according to GasBuddy.

Reddit users latched onto Beemsterboer’s 15-month-old photo on Tuesday where the r/funny community claimed the $7.11 gas price was a sign that “the prophecy has been fulfilled.”

The average cost for a gallon of gas in the U.S. is $4.97, according to AAA.

Oil production has been rising while refineries are struggling to keep up with demand.

The lack of refining capacity in the U.S. is seen as the biggest challenge to lowering gas prices, and that isn’t likely to change any time soon as the U.S. pushes to transition away from fossil fuels.

Crude oil prices are expected to remain volatile partly due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and retaliatory sanctions against Russia by Western nations, which have disrupted the global energy market.

NPR’s Bill Chappell contributed to this report.