By Laura Fitzgerald

Special to The Gazette

Four years after it was originally approved with the city, a new 7 Brew Drive Thru Coffee location is open in Colorado Springs.

Developers opened the coffee stand at the corner of 26th Street and U.S. 24 in mid-July, meeting a timeline expectation set by project developer and Sussex Group Brew 1 CEO Thomas Esposito earlier in the summer.

The existing building on the 0.7-acre parcel, the former Garden of the Gods Market and Café, which moved to downtown in 2021, was demolished to make way for a 510-square-foot building and three queuing lanes.

Developers originally presented plans to city officials to develop three 7 Brew locations of the Rogers, Ark.-based chain in 2022: 1930 E. Platte Ave., 410 S. 26th St. and 3806 Maizeland Road.

Only the Maizeland location was built until this summer.

The 26th Street location is franchised under Sussex Group Brew 1, a different company from the Maizeland location and the developers who originally submitted plans, which are listed in 2022 plan documents as the Geyer Morris Co. The site was sold to 3J7B Real Estate, a limited liability company with a business address in Columbus, Ohio, for $2.3 million in late 2022, El Paso County property records show.

There are no plans to build a 7 Brew at the Platte Avenue location, Esposito said. However, Sussex Group owns property for future 7 Brew locations from Castle Rock to Pueblo. The next store is slated to open in Castle Rock, after which Colorado Springs will most likely get a third location later this year or 2027.

Esposito said his company hopes to open twice as many stores next year as in 2026 in the southern Front Range, with the bulk of new locations coming online in the next four to six years.

Each location employs between 50 and 70 people, Esposito said. A Colorado Springs listing this summer promised minimum pay of $17 per hour before tips.

Esposito said Sussex Group was attracted to the area because of its continued population growth, youthful population and established presence in Colorado Springs.

“We think it’s a great market for it. It’s a younger demographic that does well with 7 Brew, and the brand itself has exploded over last 18 months,” he said. “The sales are doing well with each store year over year. We’re excited to bring it to market in a bigger way.”

While residents around 26th Street raised concern about additional traffic and drive-thru lines spilling onto the street, a 2023 traffic study concluded the stand would generate no greater traffic impacts than the site’s previous use as a restaurant. The study took into account future traffic predictions up to 2043.

The site features a pass-thru lane, as well as the traditional drive-thru lane, to allow customers who got their drink before those in the front to efficiently exit the parking lot.

Since its founding in 2017, 7 Brew has undergone explosive growth, with more than 700 locations in 38 states, according to the company website. In 2022, the coffee chain had 26 locations.

With a long list of flavors, syrups and toppings, 7 Brew touts more than 20,000 drink combinations across seven categories: coffees, energy drinks, fizz sodas, teas, lemonades, smoothies and shakes.