Southland Corp. Sues Local Chain Operator

A newcomer to the Spokane convenience store business finds itself in court against two national giants.

Southland Corp., parent company of 7-Eleven, filed a federal lawsuit last week against Circle-7 Gas and Grocery and Agit Nagra, its president.

Southland claims that the Circle7 name and logo copy 7-Eleven’s well-known mark.

Agit opened four Circle-7 convenience stores last October in what had previously been Circle-K stores at 32nd and Pines, Mission and Napa, Broadway and Evergreen and 34th and DishmanMica Road.

Nagra says that the name has nothing to do with either 7-Eleven or Circle-K. “Seven is my lucky number,” Nagra said.

But Southland claims the Circle7 name and signs infringe its rights under the U.S. Trademark Act and Washington law.