TOKYO, Aug 22 Reuters Seven i Holdings turned the humble 7Eleven store into a popular food destination in Japan by serving up fresh sandwiches, rice balls and rows of boxed lunches, changing how millions of people eat.

Five decades after it opened the first store in its home market, the company is on a mission to bring some of its most popular items to the U.S. a strategy enthusiasts don39;t want to see endangered by a takeover bid from Canada39;s Alimentation CoucheTard.

CoucheTard, owner of CircleK convenience stores, has sounded out Seven i which has a market value of 36 billion about a possible acquisition, the companies said this week. A potential deal value hasn39;t been disclosed and there39;s no guarantee a transaction will happen.

Analysts and industry experts believe CoucheTard is interested in synergies in North America, where Seven i has more than 15,000 convenience stores and gas stations, albeit far less profitable than the firm39;s Japanese stores or conbini which number some 21,000.

The food quality is much higher, and more unique at Japanese 7Eleven stores than in the U.S., said New Yorkbased food influencer Jeremy Jacobowitz, who has more than 500,000 followers on Instagram.

It makes me nervous that they will mess with what I deem perfection, he said about a possible buyout. Jacobowitz said he doesn39;t receive financial consideration from Seven i.

At its Japanese conbini, Seven i boasts a 27 operating profit margin, according to LSEG…