Arkansas-based 7 Brew has come to Memphis, and is out to revolutionize the way we get espresso-based drinks. Unlike the big, nationally-known competitors, 7 Brew has no “inside” for customers, and they are not out to provide a “third space” like coffee bars with tables and wi-fi. The walk-up or drive-thru stands with upbeat music and smiling young people have the ambiance of an old-fashioned car wash more than a coffee house, but it works. The small-scale buildings help keep prices low, and better yet, the drive-thru option has ditched the squawk box in favor of live, smiling human beings who take your order outside in the line.
Of course, the reason you go to a coffee place is coffee, and 7 Brew does not disappoint. The iced white chocolate mocha sounds as if it would be a sugar fest, but it was not, with plenty of coffee and chocolate flavors, with only a hint of sweetness instead of the overpowering sweetness at a certain well-known competitor’s equivalent item. The same holds true for their blended coffees (what other places call a Frappuccino) or the hot options. The owners allegedly chose the name “Seven Brew” to symbolize perfection, and indeed, their coffees have the perfect blend of authority and sweetness.
Drinks come out quickly too, and the whole experience was a positive and joyful experience. The Union Avenue location opened in July, and there has since opened another location near Bartlett on Whitten Road near Interstate 40. I assume that more are planned for this area.
7 Brew
1625 Union Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
7 Brew
2019 Whitten Rd
Memphis, TN 38133
(There is only a corporate phone number in Arkansas)