A drive-thru coffee shop known for its wide-ranging menu, fast service and energy drinks is coming to Española.
7 Brew Drive-Thru Coffee will open later this year at the corner of Riverside Drive and Valley Drive. An opening date has not yet been released and construction is ongoing.
The project started about a year ago, Planning Director Ernest Martinez said, when the company submitted its application to the Planning and Land Use department in January 2025.
“The planning department accepted the application and conducted a Design Review Team (DRT) meeting, which was critical,” Martinez said. “Usually they are conducted prior to planning commission review.”
The DRT found no issues with the 7 Brew Coffee application and it was unanimously approved.
The DRT is composed of representatives from the fire, police, planning and public works departments. When applications have no issues, they are not required to go to the Planning Commission or city council for a vote.
Martinez shared an update about the coffee shop with the city council during the Nov. 25 meeting. According to his director’s report, the company requested no variance or deviation from city code and ordinances when submitting the application.
Martinez was out of the office for two months when the application was submitted and reviewed it when he returned to the office.
“What was missing was the grading and drainage plan, but they submitted the drainage and grading plan three or four months ago,” Martinez said.
He decided to conduct a second DRT meeting because of nearby Valley Estates residents’ concerns.
They were concerned with how deep workers were digging to construct the building slab, Martinez said. The water table in this area is very high and they have to dig to a certain depth to avoid drainage issues like those at Lowe’s Home Improvement and Walmart.
Residents were also concerned about water settling along a neighboring wall. Martinez said the grading plan addressed this concern and a retention pond will stop this from happening.
People sometimes do not understand the process of how plans are reviewed and approved to avoid these types of concerns, he said.
“Usually, I hold pre-application meetings with the developer and lay out a plan in terms of what needs to be done, what needs to be submitted, who will review it and after it’s all done, they can start the project,” Martinez said.
The company opened its first location in 2017 in Rogers, Arkansas. According to a September press release from Franchise Equity Partners (FEP), it acquired a majority stake in the company’s second-largest franchise group with plans to open 200 locations across Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
The 7 Brew Drive-Thru Coffee website states there are more than 600 stores in 38 states across the country.