7-Eleven and Wawa are two top convenience stores with their own loyal followings.

While 7-Eleven is famous for its Slurpees and international presence, Wawa has built up its own smaller empire of convenience stores along the East Coast of the US.

We visited both stores to see which was better. Overall, Wawa won us over with its friendly atmosphere and extensive food and drink menu.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

They call them convenience stores for a reason.

The low prices, ready-made meals, and coffee stations in most Wawa and 7-Eleven stores make the customer experience just that — convenient, especially for the en-route traveller in need of a pit-stop. They're also a perfect place to pick up some drug store staples and low cost meals in a rush. It's no surprise that Wawa and 7-Eleven — two top convenience store chains — have attracted loyal followings.

Read more: We visited convenience-store rivals Wawa and Sheetz to see which does it better — and the winner is worth a trip in itself

With just over 800 stores dotting the East Coast, Wawa hardly compares to the international ubiquity of 7-Eleven. True, it's hard to compete with 7-Eleven's almost 60,000 stores across the globe. But in this case, quantity does not necessarily mean quality.

I visited a Wawa and a 7-Eleven to see which offered a better convenience store experience. I had always been a 7-Eleven Slurpee fanatic, so it came as a surprise when Wawa won me over with its friendly atmosphere, extensive menu, and charming store design.

Here was my experience: