7 Brew Plans Second Milwaukee Cafe
Layton Avenue proposal joins earlier cafe slated for 27th Street.
A new 7 Brew Coffee is proposed at 350 W. Layton Ave., between Taco John’s and Golden Corral. Photo taken May 16, 2022 by Jeramey Jannene.
The seven-item menu that earned 7 Brew Coffee its name quickly expanded after the chain’s 2017 launch. In turn, the fast-growing company is also increasing its local presence, with two new locations upcoming in Milwaukee.
The first is planned for a half-acre site at 3702 S. 27th St., formerly home to Wong’s Wok, Urban Milwaukee reported in May. A second is slated to open at 350 W. Layton Ave., near Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.
Previously a 1.76-acre site, the Layton Ave. property was split in 2022 following a proposal to develop two fast-food restaurants: Taco John’s and Popeyes. The former opened in 2023, while the fried chicken chain never came to fruition.
Now, MilBrew Holdings, LLC, with design firm Excel Engineering, seeks to redevelop the vacant, .69-acre parcel with a 530-square-foot building featuring a walk-up order window as well as a double drive-thru lane. Plans also call for a 250-square-foot standalone cooler and additional parking spaces.
Milwaukee’s City Plan Commission will consider the proposal June 30.
7 Brew opened its first cafe in 2017, serving seven original coffee drinks out of a stand in Rogers, Arkansas. The chain has since expanded to nearly more than 350 locations nationwide, as of March 2025. That growth is expected to continue throughout the coming months.
7 Brew Coffee uses modular construction to pre-build many of its cafes off-site, with the components later assembled on location. The approach speeds the rate of expansion, as new cafes seemingly pop up overnight.
Nearby cafes operate in Mount Pleasant and Brookfield, with further expansion planned across the state.
Beyond its signature drinks, known as the “7 originals,” the cafe plans to serve a full menu of coffee drinks, energy drinks, Italian sodas, smoothies, shakes, teas and more. All beverages are highly customizable, with options for sweetness level, cold foam, milk alternatives and a wide selection of syrups and sauces, both traditional and sugar-free.
7 Brew does not use a speaker system. Rather, staff take orders from each car individually using iPads, then hand-deliver the drinks.
The proposed Layton Avenue cafe would sit adjacent to Taco John’s and near a Golden Corral buffet restaurant at 300 W. Layton Ave. The site also includes the Courtyard by Marriott Milwaukee Airport Hotel.
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