7 Brew brings first drive-thru-only coffee shop to Lansing

The fastest-growing chain in the country has made its way to Lansing.

The drive-thru coffee chain 7 Brew celebrated the grand opening of its South Cedar Street store, which the company calls a “stand,” on March 5. At the event, Mayor Andy Schor praised 7 Brew’s choice of location.

“We love it when companies come in and see what an opportunity there is in south Lansing,” Schor said.

7 Brew has been growing steadily since opening its first location in 2017, but the Arkansas-based company’s expansion has skyrocketed in recent years. In 2024, it was named the country’s fastest-growing chain by food and beverage market researcher Datassential in its annual top 500 restaurant chains report.

Though drive-thru coffee has been a growing market for years, 7 Brew is unique as a drive-thru-only chain. While cafes like Starbucks have carved out a market as meeting places and study spaces, 7 Brew is focused on convenience. Each stand has a double-lane drive-thru in lieu of an indoor dining area.

Despite this, personal connection is still important to 7 Brew, according to James Hill, president of the Lansing location. Hill is based in Boston but flew out to celebrate the new location’s opening.

“You’re not going to speak into a speaker box, and we’re not going to shut a door in your face,” Hill said. “We’re going to have that human-to-human connection that I truly believe the world is starving for.”

He said the double-lane drive-thru is conducive to that goal: “It allows us to come out and spend time with the guests and not inconvenience them whatsoever.”

Unlike traditional drive-thrus, 7 Brew’s employees come out to cars to take orders with an iPad and deliver drinks.

“We spend time getting to know guests on a personal level, letting them know that they’re not a number at a deli counter, that they really matter,” Hill said.

7 Brew’s focus on community led the Lansing location to donate more than 20,000 drinks to nearby businesses before opening, Hill said. This number mirrors the 20,000 unique drink combinations the chain offers.

The chain’s seven original drinks all include coffee, but it also serves matcha, energy drinks, smoothies, teas, lemonades, milkshakes and Italian sodas. Customers may want to pick a drink in advance of their trip — there are quite a few options, and the line moves quickly.

7 Brew’s expansion shows no signs of slowing. The company opened more than 120 stands in 2024, ending the year with more than 300 in total.

At the grand opening, Schor said he was excited for Lansing to be part of that expansion.

“I want you to expand here,” he said. “I want you to operate in north Lansing, East Lansing and west Lansing.”