ASHLAND — Business expansion was already brewing at the corner of U.S. Route 250 and County Road 1575 with construction of Culver’s underway, but a new restaurant chain will sweeten the deal.
7 Brew plans to open its first Ashland location in the same lot as Culver’s, across from the Goasis gas station.
The coffee drive-thru chain has not officially announced its location, but a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit submitted to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency on Feb. 23 outlines early plans for the new building.
Ashland Mayor Matt Miller confirmed the city engineer has received plans for the site plan from 7 Brew, but those plans have not been finalized or approved yet.
The permit outlined 7 Brew’s construction of a site stormwater system with a proposed start date of June 2 and estimated completion date of Sept. 2.
Matt Cook was the listed contact and Vice President of Construction for the project. Cook and his team have opened 26 7 Brew locations across Ohio, including the state’s first location in Massillon in 2023.
Cook was not immediately available for comment.
Motley 7 Brew is the franchise group responsible for opening those coffee shops, and it will now add Ashland to the list.
But the franchise group does not plan to stop in Ashland: Motley 7 Brew intends to open over 350 7 Brews and be the “top franchise team in the 7 Brew fam,” according to the website.
7 Brews are modular-style coffee stands often delivered on a truck and dropped onsite via crane.
The business offers classic coffee orders, energy drinks, sodas, teas, smoothies, shakes and other beverages.
The company touts fast and friendly service in its business model.
Patience needed for development on the land
Miller had teased residents about the coffee shop’s opening at the Jan. 7 city council meeting, telling Ashland residents a “a very popular coffee shop,” would be opening on the 10-acre plot.
The land was sold on Oct. 10 for roughly $2.3 million after Ashland City Council approved a property tax abatement for the company behind the investment, Eagle Dirt Holdings LLC, in June.
Miller has sung high praise to Culver’s for being the first business to develop the empty plot of land.
“We who live here have seen this corner be dormant for more than a decade. And yet every day when we’d drive by, we would wonder why doesn’t someone do something with that corner?” Miller asked at the Culver’s groundbreaking ceremony.
Ashland’s Planning Commission voted to subdivide the land into four distinct parcels to house three new businesses in January.
At the same council meeting, Miller also told residents the other two businesses that are planning to occupy the remaining lots are a hotel and a restaurant that specializes in chicken.
His words were: “Another restaurant: one that a lot of people have asked for for a long time. Now it isn’t a steakhouse, but you could probably figure out what might be interested in coming there and bringing chicken to the community,” Miller said.