10 Facts About 7 Brew That Every Coffee Lover Should Know

Everyone has their favorite go-to drive-thru coffee shop. From smaller, regional chains like Aroma Joe's in the Northeast, to global chains like Starbucks, there are so many options for getting your caffeine fix. And the market is growing. While dominated my large scale players still, in recent years, smaller, specialty coffee chain concepts have found a greater hold in the economy. From Dutch Bros. to Blue Bottle, and especially 7 Brew.

7 Brew is one chain that is giving these other shops a run for their money. With more than 553 locations — mostly on the East coast and in the Midwest — this Arkansas-based chain that started in 2017 has quickly become known for its numerous flavor combinations and fast, friendly service. From the way it gives back to the community to the numerous customization options, there are so many reasons why 7 Brew should be your next coffee stop. But I don't need to be the one to convince you. Let the facts speak for itself and chances are high you'll be planning your next trip to 7 Brew by the time you're done reading.

With four different sauces (white chocolate, dark chocolate, caramel, and seasonal pumpkin) and twenty-nine flavors of syrup, you might not think you have quite that many options for unique flavor combinations at first glance. But as stated in the FAQ on its site, this amount of flavors 7 Brew has can produce over 20,000 different flavor combinations! This is much different than a lot of artisanal coffee shops that only feature a handful of standard syrup flavors. By going above and beyond with how many flavors it has at all times, 7 Brew goes above and beyond to provide everyone with something they'll love.

From classics like white mocha, caramel, and vanilla to fruity options like raspberry, pomegranate, and blackberry, to more niche flavors like coconut cupcake, irish creme, and chocolate macadamia nut, you'll be able to find just the right combination to satisfy your craving. Plus, 11 of its syrup flavors and three of its sauces are also available sugar-free to give those who opt for sugar-free flavors for personal or dietary preferences even more options to choose from.

Even though coffee is the highlight at 7 Brew, you don't have to be a coffee lover to make this chain your regular spot for your daily beverage pick-me-up. In fact, pretty much any fun non-alcoholic drink you can think of is on the menu including lemonade, energy drinks, teas, smoothies, steamers, hot chocolate, fizz (sparkling water and your choice of flavor), and milkshakes. This makes 7 Brew the perfect stop no matter who you are with as there is something for everyone — including kids! And considering just how many flavor combinations there are, there's plenty to choose from no matter what you're craving that day.

Plus, 7 Brew even has a few different types of plant milk like oat, almond, and coconut milk so you don't have to worry if you are plant-based due to preference or dietary restriction. You can even get your coffee-based drinks decaf or half-calf if you want to enjoy the taste of coffee without the possible caffeine jitters.

If you thought 20,000 flavor combinations was enough, 7 Brew's FAQ states that you can ask a brewista (what 7 Brew calls its baristas) for more info about its secret menu and its current unique flavor offerings. It doesn't state though whether or not the secret menu stays the same or changes, so that's something worth asking about as well when you inquire. It also doesn't state if the secret menu drinks at 7 Brew is exclusively made up of coffee drinks or includes beverages from its many other drink categories. 

Another question I personally have is if the secret menu includes extra flavors that aren't included on the standard menu. While I would love to have the answers to all of these questions, if I did, it wouldn't really be that much of a secret menu, now would it? So next time you go, ask what makes up the secret menu and you may be surprised to find your new favorite drink!

One of the benefits of hitting up the drive-through when you are in a rush, especially in the morning, is the ability to get something to eat alongside your morning cup of coffee. While there are many coffee chains that have a variety of well-known food items, such as donuts and bagel sandwiches from Dunkin Donuts and the Starbucks egg bites, 7 Brew's main focus is on its drinks. Although 7 Brew does have a handful of pre-packaged muffin tops if you really need something to curb your hunger before it gets to hanger level, that's pretty much the extent of its food offerings.

This may seem like a negative, but it can easily be seen as a positive when it comes to service. By limiting the amount of time dedicated to heating up and preparing food, 7 Brew is able to provide even faster service so you can get through the line with your coffee and to your final destination much quicker.

Following suit with other chains that offer free birthday rewards, 7 Brew takes it a step further. Instead of having to sign up for its loyalty program to get your free birthday reward, all you have to do is bring in a valid photo ID to any 7 Brew location and you can get a free drink of your choice — without any size or customization restrictions!

Even though 7 Brew does have a loyalty program that you can join, it's nice not having to join one more thing just to get a birthday reward, especially if your area doesn't have a 7 Brew location yet. However, if you do live near a 7 Brew it is worth noting the benefits of joining its loyalty program. You earn 100 points for every single drink you purchase regardless of type or size and after 1,000 points (or 10 drinks) you get a free drink of your choice. Plus, as long as you make at least one purchase in a 12-month period, your points and rewards (yes, you can save up your reward drinks!) don't expire.

By choosing to spend your money at 7 Brew, you aren't just supporting a corporation with your purchase, you are helping show gratitude to those who go above and beyond to help others. Every month 7 Brew communities nominate a local individual who is making a difference in people's lives. Whoever is bestowed the honor that month gets $500 and a year of free coffee from 7 Brew. Then, at the end of the year 7 Brew chooses one person from the monthly winners to receive the Hero of the Year honor and the ultimate $10,000 grand prize. Now that's giving back!

There is no set list of qualifications someone needs to meet to be chosen as a 7 Brew Hero, just that they have to be doing something to impact their community for the better and be nominated by someone else. To nominate someone, all you have to do is fill out the 7 Brew Hero form on the website with a little bit about what that person is doing in their community and how they have impacted your life.

At some point you've probably experienced getting a coffee that was either way too sweet or not sweet enough. And unless you're super familiar with that specific coffee chain and how much syrup is used in each of the various sizes, it can be difficult to know what to even ask for when it comes to more or less pumps of syrup to achieve your desired sweetness level. But thankfully 7 Brew has set out to solve this dilemma with its simple formula for customizing your sweetness level.

For any beverage on the menu you can ask for ¼ sweet, ½ sweet, regular, or extra sweet. No more asking just how much syrup is used in each drink and doing math in your head before you've had your caffeine for the day. Let the barista handle that and just focus on enjoying your coffee and getting to the next part of your day!

In addition to the secret menu and numerous flavor combinations you can make yourself, every month 7 Brew has a handful of new special drink creations. Often seasonal, these drinks highlight flavors that coincide with the time of year the beverages are released and feature fun, playful names. Whether it's a variation of a pumpkin spice latte during fall, something peppermint-inspired during the holidays, or berry-forward over the summer, the drinks on the monthly favorite rotation are great if you want to lean in, live in the moment, and embrace the changing of the seasons.

The monthly featured drinks are also not exclusively for coffee-drinkers. Since the offerings change each month you don't necessarily know how many of each type of drink will be included on the monthly featured list, but just know that you'll have your choice between a few coffee drinks and other selections like fizz sodas, energy drinks, or lemonade.

The 7 Brew menu includes standard coffee drinks to choose from and customize such as cold brew, lattes, mochas, breves, cocoa, and house blend drip coffee. But the original 7 Brew location in Arkansas launched with an offering of seven different specialty drinks that laid the foundation for the various custom drinks this coffee chain is known for, and you can still get those same drinks today.

Now listed under "The 7 Originals" section of the menu you can choose from the Blondie (caramel and vanilla breve), the Brunette (hazelnut and caramel mocha), the Smooth 7 (white chocolate and Irish creme breve), the Cinnamon Roll (white chocolate and brown sugar cinnamon), the White Chocolate Mocha (white and milk chocolate mocha), the German Chocolate (coconut and caramel mocha), and the Sweet & Salty (salted caramel and white chocolate breve).

Obviously the menu has continued to expand with the seemingly endless flavor combinations and monthly drink specials, but it's nice to know that those who were there from the very beginning can still enjoy the drinks that started it all.

For the days when you don't think you can keep your eyes open another minute, 7 Brew has you covered. You have the option to "make it a Triple 7" for If you get any of the seven original drinks on the menu you have the option to "make it a Triple 7", adding a total of six shots to your drink. The menu doesn't state whether or not you can make every espresso-based drink a Triple 7, but you are likely able to do so with how friendly 7 Brew is with customizations.

Considering the fact that one shot of espresso contains approximately 64 milligrams of caffeine, making your drink a Triple 7 would give you close to 383 milligrams of caffeine. Although the FDA considers anything less than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day — close to three 12 ounce cups of coffee — a generally safe amount to consume for most people, it's important to note that everyone's sensitivity to caffeine is different so be aware of how well you tolerate caffeine typically before placing your order!