Jersey Mike's Has A Coffee Sister Chain That Might Just Surprise You

When you think about Jersey Mike's, you probably don't think about coffee. In fact, Jersey Mike's doesn't even have coffee on its menu, which makes it all the more intriguing that the sub shop has an upstart sibling that does — and it's expanding rapidly. That would be 7 Brew Drive Through Coffee, a chain of drive-thru only coffee shops that's starting to get national attention.

Calling it a coffee shop might not be entirely accurate, however. Even though coffee drinks are its specialty, 7 Brew is more of an all-purpose thirst quencher. It sells soda, energy drinks, tea, chai, matcha, lemonade, milkshakes, smoothies, and as of recently, snacks. The connecting factor here between Jersey Mike's and 7 Brew is via the private equity company Blackstone. Blackstone owns a majority stake in Jersey Mike's and entered in a minority position with 7 Brew in early 2024 — so if anything, they're more like cousins than sister shops. But 7 Brew has certainly had our attention lately. We've previously done tastings of its drinks, so if you're not in the mood for a sub you can always drive through and get the creamy pumpkin latte from 7 Brew that we enjoyed.

7 Brew originally started in 2017 in northwestern Arkansas (Rogers, Arkansas, to be precise), and by 2020 it had already expanded to seven locations. Despite its name starting with "7", it's not affiliated with 7-Eleven. That number actually refers to the first seven drinks on its menu, including a drink called the Triple 7, which contained a whopping six shots of espresso (that's a lot of caffeine). It was sold in 2020 to a group of entrepreneurs which kickstarted what has undoubtedly been an impressive run.

The chain has seen exponential growth and now has over 900 locations and 45,000 employees, making it one of the fastest growing chains in America. The Blackstone investment has only helped the company grow more, so if you haven't seen one yet chances are it simply hasn't gotten to your hometown just yet. In terms of its general menu vibe, it aims to satisfy the sweet tooth; the menu lists a raspberry truffle macchiato, cookie butter cocoa, and tangy energy drinks. All the drinks are customizable, so you can get a dirty soda if you want. Since every location is drive-thru only, it also caters to the Gen Z crowd, which prefers less human interaction. While we're not sure these drinks would pair well with an Italian from Jersey Mike's, it just goes to show there's big money in caffeine and sandwiches.