One of the fastest-growing names in the drive-thru beverage industry is continuing its aggressive nationwide expansion.

7 Brew plans to open more than 50 new locations across 31 states during October 2026, according to a list the company provided to USA TODAY. The expansion represents another significant step in the Arkansas-based company’s rapid growth across the United States. AOL.com

The October openings stretch from Florida and the Carolinas to Texas, Colorado, Connecticut and West Virginia. Among the announced markets are Fort Walton Beach, Florida; Anderson, Gaffney, Murrells Inlet and Rock Hill, South Carolina; Mobile and Northport, Alabama; and Millington, Tennessee. AOL.com

Several of those locations have already received firm opening dates. Mobile’s new stand at 3180 Dauphin Street is scheduled for Oct. 5, while locations including Northport, Alabama; Anderson and Gaffney, South Carolina; and Norman, Oklahoma are expected to open Oct. 12. AOL.com

7 Brew’s Rapid Growth Continues

Founded in Northwest Arkansas in 2017, 7 Brew has developed a real estate model centered around compact, high-throughput drive-thru stands.

The company’s growth has accelerated dramatically in recent years. According to 7 Brew, the chain had just 38 stands in January 2023. Its official website now reports 900-plus stands, operations across 38 states and more than 45,000 employees. 7 Brew

Florida has become an important part of that expansion. 7 Brew’s current location directory lists 57 stands in Florida, along with 39 in Georgia, 22 in South Carolina, 38 in Tennessee and 41 in Alabama. Texas currently represents its largest footprint with 126 locations. 7 Brew Locations

A Drive-Thru Concept Built for Expansion

From a commercial real estate perspective, 7 Brew’s expansion is particularly notable because of its small-footprint drive-thru model.

Rather than operating traditional sit-down coffee shops, the company focuses on freestanding beverage stands designed around speed and drive-thru traffic. That model allows the brand to pursue pad sites and smaller parcels that may not accommodate larger restaurant concepts.

Its continued expansion also makes 7 Brew a tenant worth watching for retail developers, landowners and brokers with high-visibility outparcels, grocery-anchored shopping center pads and sites along heavily traveled commuter corridors.

The company isn’t limiting its growth to physical stands, either. In August, 7 Brew announced a major expansion into ready-to-drink coffee and energy beverages through Walmart, further extending the brand beyond its drive-thru locations. Yahoo Finance

What 7 Brew’s Growth Means for Commercial Real Estate

The scale of the October rollout demonstrates just how quickly newer drive-thru beverage concepts are competing for premium commercial corners.

With more than 50 locations scheduled to open in a single month and hundreds of stands already operating nationwide, 7 Brew’s growth creates additional demand for development-ready retail pads across both established metropolitan areas and smaller secondary markets.

For commercial property owners, developers and brokers, the expansion is another example of how small-format drive-thru users are becoming an increasingly important component of retail site planning and outparcel development.