MEDFORD, Ore. (Aug. 19, 2026) — A new 7 Brew drive-thru coffee shop is being proposed for a vacant property near the intersection of Owen Drive and Crater Lake Highway, potentially adding another national coffee chain to a market already known for its strong drive-thru coffee presence.
The proposal calls for construction of a drive-thru coffee facility on property within the Tower Business Park planned unit development. The site is located at 2131 Owen Drive, near the northeast corner of Owen Drive and Crater Lake Highway. It would be the Arkansas-based companies first Oregon location.
According to city planning documents, the proposal is for an undeveloped parcel identified as approximately 0.85 acres. The conceptual site plan shows a 7 Brew building of approximately 510 square feet.
The property is designated General Industrial and zoned Light-Industrial within the planned unit development. City documents also note that the property contains wetlands and a 40-foot easement associated with Midway Creek.
The proposal is scheduled for a pre-application conference before Medford’s Land Development Committee on Sept. 2 at 9:30 a.m. The meeting will be conducted through a Zoom webinar.
The conference is part of the preliminary review process and will allow city departments and other agencies to identify potential requirements before a formal development application moves forward. The city has requested comments and any proposed conditions from reviewing agencies within 10 working days.
Medford already has a strong drive-thru coffee market
A new 7 Brew would enter a Medford market where drive-thru coffee has become a significant part of the local restaurant landscape.
Medford is home to 12 Dutch Bros locations, making it one of the company’s most concentrated markets in the country and its largest city market in Oregon.
The city is also home to multiple locations of The Human Bean, another major drive-thru coffee company with deep Southern Oregon roots.
The Human Bean is headquartered in Medford at 623 Rossanley Drive. The company began in Southern Oregon and has since expanded to hundreds of locations open or in development across the United States.
There are many other local, regional, and national chain coffee drive-thru and sit-down options around the city as well.
That combination gives Medford an unusually competitive drive-thru coffee market for a city of its size, with nationally expanding brands competing alongside locally rooted coffee businesses.
Questions remain before 7 Brew can move forward
The 7 Brew proposal is still in the preliminary stages, and the applicant has submitted a series of questions to city departments regarding the potential development.
Those questions include whether artificial turf could be used between the building and drive-thru, bicycle parking requirements, whether a bypass lane will be required, dumpster placement, building setbacks and whether additional sidewalks will be necessary.
Fire officials are being asked to review fire-lane requirements, potential sprinkler requirements, fire department connections, backflow prevention and whether additional on-site hydrants will be needed.
The applicant is also seeking information about stormwater requirements, including whether underground storage would be permitted, as well as potential platting or lot-split requirements.
Traffic questions include whether a traffic study will be required and, if so, what its scope should be. The applicant is also seeking clarification regarding the city’s discretionary approval process and whether the project can proceed through staff review and approval.
Additional questions address potential variances, permitting, building and site-plan review, utility disconnects and whether Federal Aviation Administration approval will be necessary.
The conceptual plans show the proposed 7 Brew facility with drive-thru stacking and one ADA parking space. The plans also identify a shared dumpster and show the property as currently vacant.
The conceptual plans were dated July 24 and are specifically identified as preliminary. The documents state that the information is for conceptual purposes and remains subject to confirmation by the city and possible changes during the review process.
The Sept. 2 meeting will not constitute final approval of the project. Any future development would remain subject to the city’s land-use, site-plan and permitting processes.
If approved and constructed, the proposed 7 Brew would add another drive-thru coffee option to the Owen Drive and Crater Lake Highway area — entering a Medford market already home to a particularly strong concentration of drive-thru coffee brands.
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