Elgin's Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-3 against recommending a new 7 Brew Coffee drive-thru at the southwest corner of Summit Street and North Shady Oaks Drive, siding with neighbors who raised concerns about the site's ability to handle drive-through traffic. The vote is a setback for franchise developer Who Brew LLC, but the proposal remains subject to further city review.
A Non-Binding No, For Now
As reported by the Chicago Tribune, commissioners cited concerns about high drive-through traffic volume and the neighborhood's capacity to absorb it. The commission's vote is one stage in the process, with further city review to follow.
The proposal calls for a 1,083-square-foot building on a one-acre property, with an outdoor seating area along Summit Street, per the Tribune's reporting. A full-access driveway would connect to Shady Oaks Drive, a design detail that did little to ease the worries of nearby residents.
Neighbors Push Back On Shady Oaks
Neighbors opposed the project, raising concerns about the traffic the drive-thru would generate.
The site plan itself is sizable: it provides 43 vehicle-stacking spaces across the drive-through lanes and pass-by lane, the Tribune reported. The proposal also includes landscaping. The city's transportation consultant approved the traffic study.
Joliet's Opening Week Offers A Cautionary Tale
Elgin isn't the first Chicago-area suburb to wrestle with 7 Brew's traffic footprint. When Who Brew opened a location in nearby Joliet in September 2025, vehicle queues extended down Barney Drive, requiring local police officers to direct traffic into the drive-thru for much of last week, according to Shaw Local. The chain's drive-thrus use a double-lane model.
The Elgin proposal has drawn concerns about whether the neighborhood can absorb the drive-through's traffic.
Who Brew's Leadership
The Elgin site is currently zoned residential and planned for commercial development. Who Brew LLC has a project in Waukegan, per WhatNow.
Who Brew LLC was founded by CEO Laura Shapira Karet, the former chair and CEO of supermarket giant Giant Eagle Inc., according to Livability. 7 Brew offers coffee, teas, infused energy drinks, sodas and smoothies.
Who Brew officials were not available for comment on the Elgin proposal, the Tribune reported. For now, the fate of the Summit Street site remains uncertain as the proposal moves through further city review, leaving Shady Oaks neighbors watching how the process unfolds.
