A new coffee store is percolating in Perrysburg Township.
A 7 Brew franchise will be open this spring on U.S. 20 in the Kohl’s Department Store parking lot, if plans continue to be approved by township officials, according to Matt Books, director of operations for the company.
On Tuesday, the township zoning board of appeals approved the variance for a reduction in parking space requirements, which was requested by Toth & Associates on behalf of Brew Team OH LLC and Kohl’s.
The property is located on the south side of Fremont Pike between Oakmead Drive and Simmons Road. It is zoned C-2 community business district and located within the state route 20/23 overlay district, according to township documents.
The variance will decrease the parking for Kohl’s by 76 spots, Mr. Books said. The 7 Brew, with a double drive-through, will be built in those parking spaces, he said.
The building, which will be 500 square feet, will also have a walk-up window and 12 parking spaces.
At peak volume, he expects about 20 vehicles in the drive-through. A semi-truck will deliver supplies to the store before 5:30 a.m. The store will open at 5:30 a.m. and close at 10 p.m., except for Friday and Saturday, when it will stay open to 11 p.m.
Zoning board of appeals member Craig Biniker asked about the relationship with Chick-fil-A, which is located in front of Kohl’s.
“We’re talking to them,” Mr. Books said. “We have offered them 18 of those [76] spaces [for employee parking].”
The township trustees will have the final vote on the variance and the 7 Brew plan.
After the meeting, Mr. Books said the 7 Brew will employ 50 or 60 people and have 12 persons working per shift.
The 7 Brew specialty is a Blondie, which is a vanilla and caramel coffee. They also sell other coffees, energy drinks, teas, lemonades, and shakes.
Mr. Books hopes construction starts in the fall.
“We’re still working on some parking agreements with Chick-fil-A, but as soon as we can,” he said.
The 7 Brew stores are new to Ohio, Mr. Books said. One is breaking ground in Lima next week, and another is planned for Tiffin.
“There’s nothing like this here. Really what we sell is more of a customer service — the vibe is what people come for,” Mr. Books said. “We’re not messing with food. ... We’re out texting and doing orders, like a Chick-fil-A. So, think Chick-fil-A and Starbucks getting together and having this crazy coffee baby.”
The average time in a 7 Brew drive-through is four minutes, he said.
There are two 7 Brew franchisees in Ohio. Mr. Books is working Dayton and north up I-75 to Toledo, while the other is focusing on Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland, he said.
“We’ve committed to approximately 30 locations over the next three or four years,” Mr. Books said.
A 7 Brew opening is celebrated with a raucous “swag day,” he said.
The first store opened in 2017 in Arkansas and began franchising in 2021, Mr. Books said. The number of 7 Brews nationwide now stands at more than 260.
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