7-Eleven Inc. has earned the No. 3 spot on Entrepreneur magazine’s annual Franchise 500, which ranks top franchise opportunities in the U.S., Franchising.com reported.   This is the chain’s 17th year to secure a spot on the Top 10 of the Franchise 500.   7-Eleven opened more than 1,800 stores around the world last year,…

BP’s ampm convenience store business has landed on Entrepreneur magazine’s 2010 list of Top 10 franchises. The 10th place ranking represents a jump from 2009 when ampm came in 35th on the magazine’s Franchise 500 list. The BP convenience store brand also rose in the magazine’s rankings of fastest-growing franchises. Entrepreneur ranked ampm 14th on…

7-Eleven Inc., the world’s largest operator, franchisor and licensor of convenience stores, was named Chain of the Year in 2005. The stores got their iconic name in the 1940s because they were open from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m., which was considered extended hours in those days. By the ‘60s, lifestyles were changing, and consumers…