“Everybody’s very excited,” franchise owner Nour Obeissy said. “(Regulars) are happy for the store and the Bonita Springs area.”
One lucky person bought the winning ticket at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday night, just a few hours before the drawing, at the 7-Eleven store on
Bonita Beach Road. The store is one of the last places to stock up on
food and drink before hitting the beaches, drawing in both tourists and
regulars.The lucky numbers were 9-12-15-31-60 and the Powerball was 2,
according to a Florida Lottery news release.
The winner, who has yet to come forward, has 180 days to claim the prize and has the option to take a lump sum cash payment of $274 million
instead of yearly payments.
In addition to the Florida winner, a $1 million ticket was sold in Ohio and another in Virginia.
Thursday morning was busy at the Bonita Springs convenience store. One customer waved around a Powerball ticket with a smile, claiming he
"won the jackpot," before cashing in his ticket for a $5 prize. Others
who stopped by gave a curious look at the posters that declare the
location as the seller of the jackpot ticket.
Bonita Springs resident Paul Watson walked out of the convenience store Thursday morning with a coffee and some snacks. He said he lives
in a nearby house.
“We come in here every day,” he said. “We were in here at 6:30 p.m. last night getting snacks. I could’ve had that ticket.”
