CONCORD, CALIFORNIA – A former A&W and KFC restaurant on Clayton Road in Concord is being transformed into the first California location for one of the nation’s fastest-growing coffee chains.
Remodeling is reportedly underway at 4660 Clayton Road, where 7 Brew Coffee plans to open a drive-through-focused shop. The property is located near Bailey Road in a busy commercial stretch with lots of other restaurants.
The project will reuse the existing 3,664-square-foot restaurant building rather than replace it with one of the compact prefabricated stands commonly associated with 7 Brew.
Plans call for dual drive-through lanes, exterior renovations, new signs and landscaping improvements. Customers will not have access to an indoor dining room. The former restaurant seating area will instead be used for employee training and storage.
The Concord Design Review Board considered the project in March.
A Coffee Chain Growing at Remarkable Speed
Although 7 Brew may be unfamiliar to many California residents, the Arkansas-founded chain has expanded rapidly across the country.
Its current location directory lists more than 800 stands across 38 states. California is notably absent from that list, making the Concord project the chain’s anticipated entry into the state.
The concept was founded in Rogers, Arkansas, in 2017 with seven original coffee choices. It has since grown into a major challenger in the increasingly competitive drive-through beverage market.
The menu extends well beyond conventional coffee. Customers can order flavored lattes, mochas, cold brews, teas, lemonades, smoothies, shakes, sparkling waters and energy drinks.
Signature beverages include the Blondie, made with caramel and vanilla, and the Smooth 7, which combines white chocolate and Irish cream. Customers can adjust flavors, sweetness levels, milk choices and preparation styles, creating thousands of possible combinations–kind of like the boba tea places that have become extremely common in these parts.
The chain’s focus on highly customizable drinks places it in direct competition with Dutch Bros, which operates just a short distance east of the future Concord location.
Employees Will Take Orders Between Cars
7 Brew’s service model differs somewhat from a traditional fast-food drive-through.
Employees known as runners or line busters move between waiting vehicles, taking orders and accepting payments on handheld devices, similarly to how orders are taken at In-N-Out or the far more local Meadowlark Dairy. The system is intended to keep the line moving while allowing employees to interact directly with customers.
Plans indicate that the Concord location could employ approximately 10 to 15 people during a typical shift, with additional workers during busy periods.
Proposed operating hours are 5 a.m. to 11 p.m–so quite late for a coffee shop.
Clayton Road Is Becoming a Coffee Battleground
7 Brew will enter an unusually competitive section of Clayton Road.
Dutch Bros is only a couple of buildings away, while Starbucks and Dunkin’ also operate nearby. Another Starbucks location has been under development across Clayton Road near Bailey Road.
An official opening date for 7 Brew has not yet been announced. However, with renovation work underway, the project has moved beyond the proposal stage and is visibly progressing toward its California debut.
We’ll follow this one and let you know when it opens. Make sure to join our free 925 News newsletter so we can keep you posted.
