7 Brew opens in Brunswick

BRUNSWICK — 7 Brew is looking to provide a local coffee shop feel at its new Brunswick shop at 3695 Center Road. The Northern Medina County Chamber Alliance held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for 7 Brew on Monday. Derek Stevens is the director of operations for the Motley 7 Brew franchise in Northeast Ohio, which has about 47 locations in Ohio and a few other states. 7 Brew is named after its seven original drink flavors. Stevens described the company as a "drive-thru coffee experience" that also offers other drink options like tea, energy drinks, milkshakes, matcha and smoothies. "One thing that really separates us from everyone else is we are outside, taking your order, walking you through the menu, being very interactive, and then the drinks come flying out," he said. "We have over 20,000 drink (combinations). We can customize anything, any way you want it, and it allows people to experiment, have fun and really get it the way they like it." There is not an inside sit-down area, but walk-up guests are welcome to sit at the patio table outside to have their drink, Stevens said. He feels it is important to build relationships with customers. "We want our guests to feel comfortable with our baristas," he said. "Our baristas at many of our stands will know half of our guests by name." A core belief of 7 Brew is "cultivating kindness," Stevens said. As a result, the business intends to hold fundraisers, and those who are interested in setting one up can speak to the stand leader at the Brunswick location. "We want to be part of the communities that we're in, not just a business that's there to make profit," he said. "We want to be involved." For instance, Stevens announced at Monday's ribbon-cutting ceremony that 7 Brew will make a $2,000 donation to local animal rescue Buckeye's Missions and Sanctuary. "What they're doing here is simply amazing," he said. "We wanted to ... help in any way we could." 7 Brew will also give away free small drinks for one hour in the morning, one hour midday and one hour at night through Friday, Stevens said. The business' first week will culminate on Saturday when patrons who buy a large drink receive a 7 Brew T-shirt. "(Free drinks) allows the community to experiment," he said. "For our team, it also gives them an opportunity to practice making different things customers would order and make them feel so much stronger and more confident in their abilities." Stevens hopes the location keeps growing, thriving and serving the community. "The community has been so welcoming," he said. "Every person that's come through has been excited to have us here. They're very complimentary, and I also really appreciate that they have also been understanding that we're brand new." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.