The Booming Coffee Chain Making Starbucks Fans Take Notice

As the largest coffee chain in the world by far, Starbucks serves tasty coffee drinks that many people love. That being said, small and mid-sized chains have become more popular in recent years, valued for their small-town feel, fresh ingredients, and perfected preparation. Case in point: 7 Brew, a rapidly growing coffee chain that some Starbucks fans are switching to. 

If you're someone who enjoys breaking down everything that's wrong with Starbucks, you probably buy your coffee elsewhere, perhaps spending time at the best local coffee shops in your state or smaller chains, like 7 Brew. Established in 2017 in Arkansas, 7 Brew is a drive-thru coffee stand that values "serving premium coffee in record time and making new friends" with its stellar customer service. The company has grown from 14 stands at the start of 2022 to 589 stands throughout the U.S. in 2025, with more stands in development. As of the end of 2025, 7 Brew is following behind Dutch Bros and Scooter's Coffee for the largest drive-thru coffee stands in the U.S. 

Part of the appeal of 7 Brew is its wide variety of drinks and customizations. Besides classic espresso drinks (latte, mocha, cappuccino, macchiato), the brand makes energy and fizzy drinks that can be infused with a variety of flavors, as well as various teas, lemonades, shakes, and smoothies. Find out what makes 7 Brew stand above the rest, according to customers. 

While coffee mega-chains Starbucks and Dunkin' had minimal sales growth in 2024, mid-sized upstarts like 7 Brew experienced booming sales. In fact, 7 Brew was the top-performing coffee chain on Restaurant Business' Technomic Top 500 list of 2025, with 163 percent sales growth in 2024. If the proof is in the numbers, it's obvious customers are catching on to this quick-service coffee chain, but why?

There are a variety of reasons, according to Redditors replying to a post asking, "Why is 7 Brew so popular?" after seeing a long line of cars at their local coffee stand. According to u/starGuardianBard, 7 Brew has "More variety. Starbucks really only has like eight espresso drinks  ... A medium at 7 Brew is the same size as Starbucks' large but a dollar cheaper most of the time. Plus, most stands will let you do customization like drizzles or cold foam for free. ... 7 Brew does deals constantly, whereas Starbucks rewards have become super greedy."

Another Redditor explains that the service outshines Starbucks, stating, "The people make the difference. I've never had a bad people experience there. Everyone is engaged and seems like they enjoy being there ... Starbucks used to be our go-to coffee place, but they've really slipped in their service." 

Redditors also love 7 Brew's large number of sugar-free flavors and the wide variety of energy drinks and lemonades for non-coffee drinkers. Some people simply prefer the taste of 7 Brew's coffee compared to Starbucks. The menu at 7 Brew doesn't offer much for breakfast besides drinks, but to that end, there are plenty of coffee chains that do breakfast better than Starbucks.