Drive-Thru Coffee Shop Franchise Planning First Centre County Location

A growing chain of drive-thru coffee shops is planning a new location in the State College area.

A franchisee of 7 Brew intends to open a store on a portion of the parking lot at the Hills Plaza on South Atherton Street in College Township, according to a sketch plan included the township planning commission's Aug. 20 meeting agenda .

The 540-square-foot, prefabricated store would replace 48 parking spaces at 1919 S. Atherton St., the parking area near Ollie's and between Kish and First National banks.

7 Brew offers drive-thru service only with two lanes, Brian Evans, of Brew Team LLC, wrote in a letter to the township introducing the project. It serves beverages including coffee, tea, hot chocolate, Italian soda, smoothies, shakes and energy drink. It does not sell food.

No interior or exterior seating is available. Instead, baristas great guests at their vehicles and take their orders using iPads, then deliver their drinks when ready. The set-up, Evans wrote, is designed for "ultra-fast" service.

The shop is expected to employ 40 to 50 people.

A canopy extends from each side of the building to protect staff and customers from the elements, Evans wrote. 7 Brew offers walk-up service, as well, but it accounts for less than 1% of sales, according to the letter.

The walk-up service is most frequently used by first responders, who receive a 50% discount, Evans wrote.

In addition to the store, plans also include a 230-square-foot remote cooler and storage structure. Both the building and cooler are prefabricated in Missouri and trucked to the site, "which expedites our construction timeline," Evans wrote.

A 7 Brew franchisee recently told the Board of Supervisors in Sandy Township, Clearfield County, where another location is in the planning, that the shops typically open within 10 weeks from the start of construction, according to the DuBois Courier Express .

7 Brew originated with a coffee stand in Rogers, Arkansas, and now has more than 200 locations in 26 states, with rapid expansion on the horizon.

The first 7 Brew in Pennsylvania opened last year near Reading . Franchisee partner Travis Odom told Sandy Township supervisors that plans were in the works for two locations in State College one in Johnstown and 68 more throughout the commonwealth over the next year, according to the Courier Express.

College Township Planning Commission will review the sketch plan for the Hills Plaza location during its meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20, at the township building and via Zoom.

Sketch plans are not required and are meant to garner feedback before a developer submits a formal land development plan.

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