7 Brew Coffee, a rapidly growing Arkansas-based drive-thru coffee chain, took a major step toward opening its second Connecticut location on Monday. The Orange Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) granted the chain its first of several approvals needed to establish a new drive-thru location on the Boston Post Road.
The proposed site, located at 112 Boston Post Road, sits at the high-traffic border between Orange and West Haven. The property currently hosts a derelict building, most recently a Subway, which has been vacant since 2018. The ZBA’s approval of a variance paves the way for 7 Brew Coffee to demolish the existing structure and replace it with a prefabricated building designed for its drive-thru-only business model.
Engineer Marcus Puttock explained to the ZBA that 7 Brew Coffee’s business operates without seating, focusing solely on serving coffee through a drive-up window. Customers will place their orders with staff who use iPads to enter them, while workers inside the building prepare the drinks.
Puttock compared the operation to the nearby Chick-fil-A, which recently opened a drive-thru-only location in West Haven. He described the service as a fast, efficient experience: “It’s like Chick-fil-A with runners that come out to your window,” he said.
The ZBA’s approval was necessary due to the property’s nonconformance with current zoning regulations, specifically the setback requirements from intersecting roads. While the new building will still be closer to the road than the zoning code typically allows, it will be farther from the corner than the existing building, helping preserve a large portion of the parking lot.
Puttock emphasized that the new business would revitalize an underutilized property that has been empty for nearly a decade. Commercial real estate agent Mike Richetelli, speaking at the meeting, added that he had unsuccessfully tried to lease the property in the past, reinforcing the need for a new tenant.
“It’s a fresh new tenant in Orange, and that’s a great thing,” Richetelli said.
Economic Development Director Annemarie Sliby also supported the proposal, noting that 7 Brew Coffee would be a unique addition to the town.
The ZBA voted unanimously to approve the variance. The proposal will now move forward to the Planning and Zoning Commission for further review and must also be approved by state transportation officials before construction can begin.
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