Topeka coffee drinkers are getting a second option on SW Wanamaker Road this week. 7 Brew, the fast-growing drive-thru coffee chain, is opening a new stand at 2717 SW Wanamaker Road on Oct. 19, just down the street from the city's original location.
Company officials confirmed the opening date for the southwest Topeka site, according to KSNT. The new stand sits roughly a mile and a half from Topeka's other 7 Brew at 1115 SW Wanamaker Road, which has been serving customers since February 2022, according to WIBW. The original stand opened as the chain's first foothold in the capital city, and now it has company just down the road.
The new location will keep long hours, running from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and staying open until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, per the same report. Like its sister location, the new stand will serve the chain's signature lineup of coffees, smoothies, shakes, teas and sodas through a drive-thru window.
Topeka Joins a Nationwide Building Spree
Topeka's new stand is part of a much bigger push. 7 Brew now operates more than 700 locations across 38 states, with roughly 340 more locations already planned, according to CNN. The chain, which has more than 20 coffee shops already scattered across Kansas, is aiming to eventually run more than 1,000 drive-thru stands within a year, per the same report.
October alone has been a busy month for the Arkansas-based chain. 7 Brew is opening more than 50 new locations across 31 states this month, as reported by USA Today. That wave of openings includes initial locations landing in Alabama, Colorado, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and West Virginia, the outlet notes. Alongside the new stores, the chain rolled out a limited-time Halloween-themed drink lineup called Booost Your Brew, according to the same report.
What's on the Menu and What It Costs
7 Brew has built its brand on customization, boasting more than 20,000 possible drink combinations without typically charging extra for add-ins like flavor shots, milk alternatives, whipped cream or drizzles, per CNN. Company pricing cited by the outlet puts a 24-ounce iced Blondie at as little as $5.15 and a medium iced latte at as little as $4.75, though those figures come from the chain's broader pricing and are not confirmed as Topeka-specific numbers. The chain has also leaned on speed as a selling point — CNN reported that average customer time at 7 Brew stands ran about 8.7 minutes during a recent third quarter, compared with 10 minutes at Dutch Bros and 13.8 minutes at Starbucks.
7 Brew is hardly alone in the drive-thru coffee race. Dutch Bros has grown past 1,000 locations across 25 states, while Scooter's Coffee has topped 850 locations nationwide, CNN reported. That competitive backdrop helps explain why chains like 7 Brew are moving quickly to plant stands in smaller markets like Topeka before rivals get there first.
A Possible Third Topeka Site Already in the Works
Topeka may not be done adding 7 Brew stands. Back in July, WIBW reported that a second drive-thru location was planned north of 29th Street and Wanamaker Road, next to Big O Tires, with groundwork and a concrete pad already underway at that time. The station reported that a completion date for that project was unknown. The dossier evidence does not confirm whether that north-side project is the same site opening Oct. 19 on SW Wanamaker Road or a separate, third Topeka location — so for now, the relationship between the two projects remains unclear.
How Other Markets Have Handled New Openings
Communities elsewhere have seen 7 Brew sweeten new openings with freebies, though the specifics vary by market. In Austintown, Ohio, a new stand at Mahoning and Howard Avenues — the Mahoning Valley's third 7 Brew location and a $1.7 million investment, according to WFMJ — offered free small drinks during Friends and Family preview events from Oct. 9 through Oct. 11, limited to one per customer present. The same Austintown stand extended free small drinks through designated community hours from Oct. 12 through Oct. 16, per WFMJ. The outlet also reported the company is building yet another stand at Hermitage Towne Plaza, though no opening date for that project has been announced. Whether Topeka's new stand will offer any comparable opening promotion has not been confirmed.
