A drive-through coffee stand from the fast-growing 7 Brew chain could be coming to the Packanack Wayne Shopping Center on Route 23, but township planners aren't ready to sign off just yet. The proposal calls for a 510-square-foot coffee stand with two drive-through lanes and a 260-square-foot refrigerated shed at 1474 Route 23 north.
The application remains pending before the Wayne Township Planning Board, which must approve the project before it can move forward, according to northjersey.com. Plans submitted to the board describe a business that would operate exclusively as a drive-through, with no indoor seating and no on-site food preparation, employees would take orders directly from customers waiting in their vehicles, as reported by News12 New Jersey.
Proposed hours would run from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, stretching to 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The applicant estimates the stand would employ 40 to 50 part-time workers, per the station's report.
Traffic Concerns Push the Vote to December
The Wayne Planning Board heard the application on October 26 but continued its review to December 14 following discussion of traffic circulation and site operations, the outlet notes. A township planning official said there were substantial comments about circulation and operations at the shopping center during the hearing.
Those concerns trace back to earlier input from the township's consulting engineer, who on October 19 raised worries about traffic circulation near the proposed coffee stand and cited the potential for conflicting vehicle movements, per the same account. The engineer recommended eliminating the Cedar Place driveway closest to Route 23, though the same official reportedly did not object to the applicant's conclusion that the project would not significantly affect traffic on the surrounding roads.
A Familiar Blueprint From a Fast-Growing Chain
A Familiar Blueprint From a Fast-Growing Chain The Wayne design mirrors a project proposed in Paramus. In Paramus, the Planning Board is considering a 7 Brew drive-through at 211 Route 4 on part of the iFLY Paramus property, with the same 510-square-foot building and 260-square-foot refrigeration shed and no dine-in option. That project also calls for reconfiguring the lot so three lanes flow one-way around the building, and it requires two signage variances along with changes to landscaping and lighting.
7 Brew's expansion push extends well beyond New Jersey. In Pennsylvania, a proposed Scranton location would pair dual drive-through lanes and a walk-up window inside a 790-square-foot footprint, while developer Brew Team Group has also sought a variance to cut required off-street parking by 50 spaces there, according to thetimes-tribune.com. Nearby, a Wilkes-Barre Township proposal would convert a former Sonic into an 858-square-foot building with three lanes, and a South Abington Township project calls for the same 510-square-foot layout seen in Wayne and Paramus, complete with canopy-covered lanes, a detached cooler and a trash enclosure.
Counting Locations in a Crowded Market
Counting Locations in a Crowded Market Figures on just how big 7 Brew has grown vary depending on the source. The Times-Tribune reported that the franchise operates over 800 locations, while jerseydigs.com has described the company as having more than 500 active stores nationwide with 250 more franchises slated to open in 2026. Hoodline has reported that 7 Brew entered the New Jersey market in 2025 and hit a national milestone that October when it opened its 500th location in Toms River.
The chain has locations statewide, including Clark. Hoodline’s September 2026 report calls the approved Paramus stand the chain’s 10th New Jersey location. Other locations include Egg Harbor Township and Toms River. Blackstone took a majority stake in 7 Brew in 2024.
For now, the Wayne proposal remains pending, and the Planning Board is not expected to revisit the application until December 14.
