7 Brew Coffee Shop Proposed For Gloucester Twp.

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — A quickly expanding drive-thru coffee chain wants to open a shop on Blackwood-Clementon Road.

7 Brew Coffee has hundreds of coffee "stands" around the nation, including several on the way in South Jersey. The shops are drive-thru only, taking up minimal space and only serving beverages.

A proposed shop on 1390 Blackwood-Clementon Rd. is slated for a hearing at the Gloucester Township Zoning Board meeting on Wednesday.

The property is located at the intersection with Dartmouth Road and currently contains a vacant building that housed a check-cashing business.

Under the proposal, the 1,154-square-foot building would be torn down and replaced with a 510-square-foot 7 Brew.

It would contain two drive-thru lanes and operate from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. There would also be a 260-square-foot refrigerated shed on the property.

7 Brew touts the industry's fastest transaction time, averaging 3 minutes, 30 seconds to complete each order, according to project engineer Aaron Chan.

"7Brew (sic) is entirely focused on beverages, with no food preparation on site," said Chan, of Stonefield Engineering in Princeton. "The site operations are focused on efficiency with double drive-thru format with employees coming to the vehicles with tablets to explain the menu and take the order in lieu of traditional menu boards."

New Jersey's first 7 Brew is set to open later this month in Turnersville, while another was recently approved on Cross Keys Road in Winslow Township.

The Gloucester Township store would operate in the township's Highway Commercial Zone. There are several businesses and fast-food establishments along that part of Blackwood-Clementon Road, with residential neighborhoods north and south of the roadway.

7 Brew is seeking several variances from Gloucester Township's Zoning Board, including permission to operate a coffee shop within 1,000 feet of similar establishments, residential districts or schools.

Several coffee-serving establishments line the roadway, with housing nearby. The property is near the Cherrywood Academy preschool on Cherrywood Drive.

7 Brew has also proposed upgrades to parking facilities, lighting and landscaping

No traffic issues are anticipated, according to a review from the Gloucester Township Police Department's Traffic Safety Unit.

The Zoning Board meeting begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday. View the agenda here.