The new 7 Brew, located in Elkhorn, opened on Jan. 19, but the excitment has not died down. Often, lines still wrap around the building, forcing some to question if the drinks are worth it.

Whenever a new chain opens in Omaha, it quickly takes the attention of the city. The latest example is 7 Brew, which opened its first Omaha location in Elkhorn in mid-January. According to reports from the Omaha World-Herald and KETV, on opening day, cars wrapped around the parking lot and spilled into the street, with some customers claiming that they waited 30 to 45 minutes for a drink. When I went shortly after opening week around 9 p.m., I only waited about 20 minutes which, at that time of night, was still surprising. 7 Brew has piqued the curiosity of the people of Omaha. But is it worth the hype? 

Part of 7 Brew’s rapid popularity comes down to speed, convenience and customer experience. Despite intimidatingly long lines, the operation tends to run pretty efficiently. Employees take orders outside, coming right up to the driver’s window, and the line tends to move faster than it looks. Their menu also sets them apart. Rather than a rigid list of preset drinks, 7 Brew emphasizes customization. A friend I went with once described it as “every drink is a secret menu item,” because customers can build nearly any combination of flavors. That customizability, combined with relatively cheap pricing (drinks typically range from $3 to $7, with a 30 oz costing about the same as a 24 oz at Starbucks) makes it appealing. Considering how quickly add-ons increase prices elsewhere, the build-your-own model feels like a better value. I ordered a ridiculously long-winded order I found on TikTok, and it was very good. 

The criticism surrounding 7 Brew is hard to ignore. Online, it has developed a reputation for serving sugary, dessert-like drinks as opposed to traditional coffee, gaining more criticism than similar chains like Starbucks. Many menu items are high in sugar and calories, making them feel more like an occasional treat than a daily caffeine source. Nutritional transparency is also a concern. While browsing the menu online, I couldn’t find any clear information on calorie content. On the PDF menu, some categories, like lemonades, list calorie ranges as broad as 110 to 1,230 calories, which leaves a lot of room for ambiguity. In comparison, Starbucks provides nutrition facts directly on its app. While not everyone is counting calories, clear information helps customers make informed choices. Because of this, 7 Brew feels more like a once-in-a-while indulgence than something to add to your morning routine. 

There’s also the question of quality. 7 Brew emphasizes flavors and customization over the quality of espresso itself. If you’re looking for a coffeehouse atmosphere or carefully sourced coffee beans, this probably isn’t the place. Whether it’s worth it depends mainly on what you order and what you value: convenience, experience or coffee quality.  

Ultimately, customers generally know what they’re signing up for. The real question is what the hype is about. Is it about efficiency? Online trends? The excitement of something new? Omaha has a pattern of flocking to new chains, only for the excitement to die down a couple months later. In many ways, 7 Brew delivers on convenience and experience. 

So, is 7 Brew worth the hype? If you’re going for the fun, fast-paced experience and a highly customizable treat, then yes, at least once. If you’re used to artisanal coffee quality, you might leave underwhelmed. In the end, 7 Brew feels less like a coffee revolution and more like a social phenomenon charged with online popularity and novelty, one that’s enjoyable, but probably not life changing.