WILKES-BARRE TWP. — A developer seeks to demolish the Sonic drive-in restaurant on Kidder Street near the Wyoming Valley Mall to open a growing national drive-thru coffee and beverage franchise.
Vestal, New York-based Brew Team Group LLC is slated to appear before the Wilkes-Barre Twp. Planning Commission on Sept. 14 to give a presentation about opening at 7 Brew Drive-Thru Coffee business at the Sonic location at 755 Kidder St.
Design plans submitted call for demolishing the existing Sonic building and canopies over the ordering kiosks in the parking areas to build a 858-square-foot property with three drive-through lanes.
A Vestal, New York-based developer seeks to demolish the Sonic drive-in restaurant by the Wyoming Valley Mall to open a 7 Brew Drive-Thru Coffee franchise. (Bob Kalinowski / Staff Photographer)
The developer, Larry Wilson, who has built franchises of various businesses around the country, like Moe’s Southwest Grill and CoreLife Eatery, said 7 Brew is his next big venture.
“I’m bringing it everywhere. I’m doing 130 next year,” Wilson said in a brief phone call.
In addition to coffee, 7 Brew is known for its specialty drinks that include teas, fizz sodas, lemonades, smoothies, shakes and flavored energy drinks.
A Vestal, New York-based developer seeks to demolish the Sonic drive-in restaurant by the Wyoming Valley Mall to open a 7 Brew Drive-Thru Coffee franchise. (Bob Kalinowski / Staff Photographer)
Founded in 2017 in Northwest Arkansas, the company grew rapidly with the help of investors and now has more than 700 locations in 38 states.
The closest locations to Northeast Pennsylvania are in Reading, Selinsgrove and Binghamton, New York.
The company says its mission is “cultivating kindness” and “choosing connection – serving with heart, uplifting others, and creating small moments that can brighten someone’s day.”
A Vestal, New York-based developer seeks to demolish the Sonic drive-in restaurant by the Wyoming Valley Mall to open a 7 Brew Drive-Thru Coffee franchise. (Bob Kalinowski / Staff Photographer)
One feature of the business is customers order face-to-face to an employee rather than using the traditional speaker boxes at most drive-through establishments.
The Sonic drive-in, which also has a drive-through, opened more than 20 years ago. The business closed several times, including a span between April 2018 and June 2022, and has changed ownership several times.
A Vestal, New York-based developer seeks to demolish the Sonic drive-in restaurant by the Wyoming Valley Mall to open a 7 Brew Drive-Thru Coffee franchise. (Bob Kalinowski / Staff Photographer)
Dining and Cooking