A competition is brewing between the biggest coffee rivals in Naperville, the recently opened 7 Brew and the worldwide coffee shop, Starbucks. The 7 Brew in Naperville officially opened on Oct. 14, 2024. It quickly grew popular in the Chicagoland area, as it was the first 7 Brew location to open. 7 Brew is known for their unique drive-thru and plenty of drink options, like coffee, secret menu drinks, energy drinks, smoothies and shakes.
There is never a dull moment at 7 Brew. 7 Brew is constantly busy with lines filing down multiple streets. It doesn’t matter what time of day, there will always be people waiting in line. Many people are dedicated to this delicious coffee and believe the line is worth the wait. Junior Brooklyn Brown, for example, believes that 7 Brew serves better coffee than Starbucks.
“Every time I’ve gone to 7 Brew I’ve only gotten their coffee and when, comparing it to Starbucks coffee, I do think it’s a lot better,” Brown said. “I like the taste of the coffee better at 7 Brew than the taste of coffee at Starbucks.”
7 Brew is known for their unique design concept. 7 Brew’s drive-thru is very small and compact. Their buildings are made using modular construction, which means they are built off site, fabricated and completed in a factory, then shipped to the final location where it is assembled. These buildings are relatively small and can fit within lots that are 8000 to 50000 square feet. Each location has a double drive-thru where customers can be served quickly and efficiently.
7 Brew workers love to make sure customers are pleased with their coffees and have a wonderful experience while visiting. These workers love what they do. Ethan Lava is a 7 Brew worker in Naperville. This was his first ever job, and he believed jobs would be boring. His fear was not true in his case. 7 Brew always has loud music playing in their drive-thru, impacting the overall experience. The workers there are happy to be making coffees and servicing customers while having a great time. When workers don’t have crazy lines, it’s just like hanging out with friends and enjoying their presence. At first, working at 7 Brew was a bit overwhelming for Lava at times, but it got better.
“I just got used to it,” Lava said. “When you see people coming in every weekend without fail, it gets pretty fun being able to see regular customers. It’s always fun getting to meet new people too.”
There is a Starbucks just a two-minute drive away from 7 Brew. If you compare Starbucks and 7 Brew based on popularity, Starbucks was nearly empty when we visited, while 7 Brew was jam-packed at the same time. I noticed days where the line was super long at 7 Brew, others will resort to Starbucks coffee down the street. Lava was unsure about the Starbucks down the street and feels confident that 7 Brew is much better. .
” I didn’t even realize that there was a Starbucks down the street,” Lava said. “I think I can confidently say that we are beating them, especially on weekends. It’s always packed here.”
Starbucks is a longstanding, beloved coffee shop that has all sorts of coffees, food items, refreshers and so much more. It is a multibillion dollar company that strives to have worldwide recognition. Starbucks is a popular coffee choice that is convenient for many people. They are scattered throughout the country and are accessible through their mobile orders and drive-thrus for easy mornings.
This Starbucks down the street from 7 Brew, had fallen off a bit in competition with 7 Brew ever since their nearby competitor opened. Fisher Stevenson has worked at Starbucks for 10 years and believed those first few months were the hardest after the new competition opened.
“Our business was less than what it used to be,” Stevenson said. “People would come after close to try to order coffee. Traffic has been a big issue as 7 Brew slows everything down, and I’ve seen different car accidents occur.”
After those car accidents occured, police would have to direct traffic and take care of the accidents. All the commotion slowed Starbucks down, and while they are busy on weekends, Starbucks barely has customers all day.
The Starbucks across the street’s business has fallen off because of the opening of 7 Brew. 7 Brew is expanding across the country to allow others to try all sorts of different drinks. 7 Brew has a positive and welcoming atmosphere that allows customers to enjoy their experience and have fun getting their drinks. Clearly, customers enjoy 7 Brew because they continue going to the 7 Brew in Naperville and waiting in those long lines. Workers work hard and demonstrate that in their customer service, making every experience a great one.
