Drive-Thru 7 Brew Coffee Shop, Urgent Care Proposed In Hillsborough

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — 7 Brew, a fast-growing chain of drive-thru coffee shops, along with an urgent care, could be coming to Hillsborough.

The Township Planning Board held an Informal Review on Feb. 5 for applicant, PA 206, LLC, proposing a conceptual plan to partially demolish the existing vacant PNC Bank at 403 Route 206.

The plan is to renovate the remaining portion into a 2,250 square-foot Urgent Care facility and build a separate stand-alone 545 square-foot Seven Brew drive-thru coffee shop. The coffee shop will include a 200-square-foot walk-in cooler.

Planning Director David Kois said that section of the township, the town center district, requires applicants to come to the planning board for concept review. The Board can offer information to the applicant for their consideration on the next actions that they may take.

"You'll be giving recommendations and thoughts, but any actions or any comments the board makes are comments and ultimately have no bearing necessarily on the ultimate application, either as is to completeness and/or as to any decision by the applicable board, whether it's this one or the zoning board," said Kois.

The application will now have to go before the Zoning Board of Adjustment as it is seeking a drive-thru, which is not permited folowing an ordinance change in 2024.

7 Brew touts quick service, with hundreds of coffee "stands" around the nation. Almost all locations are drive-thru only and serve more than 20,000 drink combinations, with plenty of flavored syrups, sweet sauces and milk alternatives available.

The chain was founded in Arkansas in 2019. Last year, 7 Brew expanded to about 600 coffee stands in 28 states, nearly doubling in locations. There are five locations in New Jersey, with the most recent opening in Gloucester Township in January.

If the Hillsborough application is approved by the Zoning Board, it would be 7 Brew's first Somerset County location.

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