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Growth on the Go
Drive-thru coffee is having a moment. Since 2019, the format has captured a growing share of overall coffee visits, spearheaded by pioneers like Dutch Bros. But the boom extends well beyond the category’s biggest names, with a growing crop of challengers capturing market share.
We dove into the data for two of the segment's fastest-growing smaller brands, 7 Brew and Scooter's Coffee, to see what's driving their growth – and how each chain is carving out a distinct position despite their similar footprints and customer bases.
Same Lane, Different Speeds
Both 7 Brew and Scooter's are growing in 2026, though at very different speeds. Between January and August 2026, visits to 7 Brew jumped 41.6% year over year (YoY) – a reflection of its breakneck expansion – compared with a still-healthy 6.1% increase for Scooter's, which also added stores.
But expansion isn’t the whole story. Average visits per location increased YoY at both chains, climbing 1.7% at 7 Brew and 3.7% at Scooter’s. In other words, existing stores are also attracting more customers. And although Scooter’s aggregate visit growth is far more modest than 7 Brew’s, its stronger increase in visits per location points to robust momentum within its existing store base.
Similar Footprints, Similar Audiences
The two chains share several important characteristics, including similar footprints. 7 Brew now has more than 800 stands across 38 states, while Scooter’s boasts more than 920 locations across 32 states. Their footprints overlap in roughly 30 states, putting them head-to-head in many of the same markets.
The similarities between the two brands also extend to their customers. Median household income in both chains' captured markets hovered near $75k during the analyzed period, below the nationwide benchmark of $87.3K. Both brands also over-index for one-person households and sit just above the national average for households with children.
Scooter's Owns the Morning, 7 Brew Takes the Afternoon
Hourly visit data, however, reveals an important difference between the two brands. Scooter’s is more firmly rooted in the breakfast occasion, drawing a substantially larger share of its visits in the morning. Its pastries, breakfast foods, and espresso and cold-brew lineup make it a natural first stop of the day, while a growing roster of Red Bull Infusions, sodas, and shakes gives customers more reasons to stop by later on.
After noon, the pattern flips. 7 Brew sees a larger share of its traffic between noon and 4 PM and again between 4 PM and 8 PM. That fits a concept that is beverage-forward by design. Alongside coffee, 7 Brew's menu prominently features its proprietary 7 Energy drinks, flavored sodas, teas, lemonades, smoothies, and shakes, making the chain a natural fit for an afternoon energy boost or an evening treat.
More Than One Playbook
7 Brew and Scooter’s show that there’s no single formula for succeeding in drive-thru coffee. Even with similar footprints and customer bases, the chains are building momentum around different occasions – Scooter’s with a stronger morning business, and 7 Brew with broader appeal later in the day.
For more data-driven retail analyses, follow placer.ai/anchor.
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