The coffee industry is fast-growing, with around 2.25 billion cups of coffee consumed daily worldwide, and the average American spends roughly $2000 per year on coffee. Recently, however, the drive-through coffee industry has become increasingly popular, with 45% of people using drive-throughs to order coffee as of 2019, according to the National Coffee Association USA.
A dominant leader in this industry is 7 Brew Coffee, a fairly new company started in Rogers, Arkansas, in February of 2017. The Siloam Springs location opened in May this year, and the business is expanding rapidly as Northwest Arkansas obsesses over the drive-through coffee shops.
Katie Stout, one of the first hires at the Siloam location, admits to knowing nothing about coffee before working at 7 Brew. Her vast knowledge on the subject has been shockingly built in the last six months. She effortlessly describes the key to a perfect espresso shot and lists off complicated drink orders without hesitation. Stout describes the 7 Brew environment as very enthusiastic and fast-paced, and she smiles as she says how much she loves working there.
Loyal customers love 7 Brew as well, and it truly does seem to cater to everybody. Caroline Ford, a regular, said, “They simply don’t make bad drinks.” Their menu is notably varied, including coffee, smoothies, shakes, hot chocolate, energy drinks, tea, lemonade, matchas and more.
However, it is not delicious drinks that make 7 Brew unique. After all, Siloam Springs is not a town lacking in options for a good coffee. Among the more well-known spots are Pour Jons, Cafe on Broadway, Doomsday Coffee and Roastery and even Ground Floor at John Brown University.
When asked her opinion on why there is a large number of coffee shops in such a small town, Stout said, “I think coffee is something that draws everybody together. In Siloam, a tight-knit community, people are always wanting to hang out with each other, and the best place, I think, to connect with somebody is over coffee. Because of Siloam’s culture and the way that coffee culture works, they just go hand in hand.”
Stout makes a great point. There is no better way to connect than over a meal or a cup of coffee, and throughout history people have turned to this simple form of community. There is something both intimate and inclusive encapsulated in a cup of coffee. It remains an effective way of connecting the gap between generations, cultures and experiences.
As for the numerous coffee shops in a limited space, there is a distinct purpose and focus for each individual spot in Siloam. Pour Jons serves as a place to study or grab a quick meal for college students, while café on Broadway caters more to older couples and families. “Every coffee place has its own demographic because every place has a different vibe,” Stout said, describing 7 Brew’s customer market as a diverse mix.
Sit-down coffee places are beloved for their easygoing, friendly, cozy environment, and the fast-paced culture of 7 Brew stands out for creating the culture of a sit-down coffee shop within 5-minute interactions. It is difficult for a drive-through restaurant to forge genuine connections with its customers, but 7 Brew heavily emphasizes these employee-to-customer exchanges. “We have regulars that come through every single day, and they know us by name, and we know their drinks. 7 Brew caters more to the relationship side of coffee making, although the drinks are great too.”
Stout has undeniably nailed it. 7 Brew, besides serving well-made beverages quickly and efficiently, has perfected the element of customer relationships. Many other drive-through coffee shops have failed purely because they were missing the mark on genuinely caring for and connecting with the consumers. “Yes, we make your coffee, but we think customer interactions are the most important part of what goes on in 7 Brew,” Stout said. “We always say that those people who are working on window, talking to customers, have the most important job because they’re carrying through the 7 Brew culture … it’s mainly about making sure every customer feels appreciated and loved.” Without a doubt, that appreciation and love is what has made 7 Brew so successful and what will give it the momentum to go far in the world of drive-through coffee.
Making a good cup of coffee is a noteworthy feat yet done in vain if a business fails to connect with its customers. The owner of Pour Jons, Chris Moore, agrees wholeheartedly, saying, “I have always just tried to do what we love and do the best we can. Try to get to genuinely know our customers over time.” Last, and most importantly, Stout shares a few of her favorite drinks. Her go-to is a raspberry white chocolate breve, but lately, she’s been loving a strawberry and lavender green tea, and for the recent cold, rainy Arkansas weather she has the perfect suggestion: “definitely a London fog.”
Authored by Ali Jargo