Convenience stores have been waging a register-side donut war since 7‑Eleven kicked it off. As a sweets fan I buy them sometimes.

Coffee history: McDonald’s ¥100 coffee got undercut by conbini coffee; after coffee caught on, donuts were the “pair with coffee” move. I drank a lot when it was new, but now I rarely bother (too fiddly).

When 7‑Eleven donuts launched, I went to Misdo (Mister Donut) to compare.

Conclusion: Misdo tastes better

I like to sit in Misdo with 1–2 donuts and coffee to read. The downside: weak smoking separation. I’ve seen moms with preschoolers sitting in a haze—ugh. I dislike smoke, so if it’s heavy I leave.

7‑Eleven donut impressions:

• Old-fashioned: tasty but feels a bit small.
• Others: airy, drying, make me thirsty.

Only the old-fashioned clears my bar.

At Misdo, a limited croissant donut (white chocolate & caramel whip) was on offer, plus the usual old-fashioned. The croissant donut was great—“oh right, Misdo is a donut shop.” The Misdo old-fashioned was heftier than 7‑Eleven’s, but after that croissant donut I thought, “for this one, 7‑Eleven is fine.”

Donuts at other chains

From friends/online, Lawson seems most popular, then FamilyMart; 7‑Eleven lags. As a 7‑Eleven fan, I sampled each old-fashioned plus another random donut.

Lawson

Old-fashioned is sweet; less crunch than 7‑Eleven—missed it. Other donuts are strong overall, so across the lineup 7‑Eleven loses.

FamilyMart

I love Famichiki and visit often. Maybe because their hot-snack corner dominates, donuts are bagged on the sweets shelf, near older pastry-like old-fashioneds. Tasty and sweet, but no crunch because they’re bagged. I care about texture, so it’s a no. I still occasionally grab one as a snack (often with churros), but the bag vibe turns me off.

7‑Eleven

Only the old-fashioned is good—please let the world agree. The rest feel like cheap bread: airy and bland.

They recently “renewed” and I was excited. Tried the new chocolate & nuts donut—it tasted like a packaged sweet bread, specifically Fujipan Gin Choco Roll. If budget is the issue, I’d rather they cut SKUs and improve flavor.

While I’m at it: conbini coffee

Lawson

Staff brews it; if the register is busy I feel guilty—awkward. A few years back they offered limited “single origin” premium coffee with hyped beans, “20 cups a day!” rumors. In my less-crowded area it was plentiful. Taste? My palate isn’t that sharp—I thought “kinda like McD’s.”

FamilyMart

Fine, nothing special. My local store has a tiny shelf crammed next to the machine, making it hard to use, so I rarely buy.

7‑Eleven

The Kashiwa-designed machine confused me at first; I still double-check and whisper the buttons. Easy-drinking, and the machine sits at the counter edge so even when crowded it’s accessible—low stress. Some stores put the hot water pot for cup noodles on a side table, so I can stir in sugar/milk there—less pressure with people in line.

Donuts as a small gift

Eating in at Misdo = my lunch/snack; taking a box home = mini omiyage. Someone on that blog’s comments said, “Wait, Misdo is for gifts?” but I bring it to family gatherings—kids love it, adults grab one with coffee. It fills the gap when Toraya yokan is too formal and Bourbon Lumonde is too casual.

7‑Eleven sells boxed donuts too, but as a gift it’s tougher; fine for my own snack.

Summary

• At 7‑Eleven, only the old-fashioned donut deserves love.
• FamilyMart’s bagged donuts give me mixed feelings (no crunch).
• Lawson’s coffee can feel awkward when lines are long.
• Misdo, please fix smoking areas.
• Misdo coffee refills are free —two refills is plenty.
• Also, I don’t find the coffee that tasty…

If Misdo went smoke-free and upgraded coffee, I’d pay more—and realized, “that would basically be Starbucks, huh?”