Tedeschi bought by 7-Eleven

New Englanders gulped big when they heard their beloved Tedeschi Food Shops are being gobbled up by 7-Eleven.

“It’s a shame,” Greg Cyr, 39, of Plymouth said. “I feel like 7-Eleven is more of a cookie-cutter store. Tedeschi has more of an authentic feel. But that might be because I grew up with them.”

It is unclear whether Tedeschi stores will keep their name after the acquisition, but the Rockland-based convenience store is set to merge with 7-Eleven by the middle of 2015, according to The Boston Globe.

Tedeschi has 182 stores between Massachusetts and New Hampshire, compared to the 10,500 North American 7-Eleven stores. Based in Dallas, 7-Eleven is the largest chain of convenience stores in the United States and has more than 55,000 stores in 16 different countries.

There is no word on whether Tedeschi stores would close as a result of the purchase, nor was a purchase price given during Monday’s announcement. 7-Eleven and Tedeschi have operated in close proximity in New England, selling similar products and services.

Tedeschi opened in 1923 when Angelo Tedeschi sold oils, cheese and imported goods out of his own home in Rockland. The family-owned store expanded and was eventually bought up by Stop & Shop in 1961.

They retained their name in that purchase, and the Tedeschi family went on to open Angelo’s Supermarket in Holbrook. The family then refocused their efforts towards boosting Tedeschi, acquiring Li’l Peach in 1996 and Store 24 in 2002.