Japanese snack stunt at SF 7-Eleven with Mayor Breed's picture on product goes viral

ByTara Campbell KGO logo

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Japanese snack stunt with SF mayor pic at 7-Eleven goes viral

A Japanese snack that showed up at 7-Eleven store on San Francisco's Sansome Street has gone viral after a local artist pulled off a stunt.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A Japanese snack with Mayor London Breed's picture on the product showed up at a 7-Eleven store on San Francisco's Sansome Street and went viral after a Bay Area artist pulled off a stunt Wednesday.

"I recently went to Japan, and if you're not familiar with Onigiri," said artist Danielle Baskin. "It's this very popular rice ball in a triangle shape wrapped in seaweed, and I have just dreamed of this being available everywhere in the U.S."

Baskin took matters into her own hands this week, making the snacks in her home, complete with packaging, which included a photo of Mayor London Breed.

"I thought that there could be a world in which, like the mayor tried to get them in San Francisco because there's this campaign, "It All Starts Here," and it seems like if Onigiri is coming to the U.S., it could start in San Francisco," explained Baskin.

As for the mayor, herself, she is not endorsing this product. Her office confirmed there is no partnership. But, that's not slowing down Danielle, who is determined to get Onigiri into stores.

"I thought the only way to do it would be to stage it like, it already existed versus just walking into 7-Eleven and asking, 'will you buy this?'"

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And that's exactly what she did. She staged it by finding a spot on the shelf and placing the product, rallying her friends to come get in line- posting it all on social media.

"So many people were excited about getting Onigiri, that this sort of spread on the Internet as a different world in which you could purchase them at 7-Eleven," she said, noting the could soon be possible.

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"A day after we did this stunt, so many people came in looking for them.," said Baskin.

"Thirty or 40 people were looking for it," said Dharm Singh. "The triangle sushi and the instant rice, so I tell her, 'do you have, to send to me'?"

"And so tonight, I'm figuring out the logistics," said Baskin. "With different commercial kitchens to manufacture them." And, she's hoping to make the delivery as soon as possible. "I think people are just really excited about the possibility," said Baskin. "It is a very good snack."