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7Brew / Who Brew coffee shops heads up

February 04, 2026 07:36PM
I have completed these shops several times. They are on the 'magic app' and I claimed one this morning. First one for this month so I reviewed the guidelines and scanned the questions visible. Nothing changed.
I arrive at the location, check in and then take my timings/ notes. Get my drinks and pull into a neighboring parking lot and take my photos and complete the shop.
1. A new question has been added, it's not in the guidelines but is visible in the survey form. It asks if vehicles are ahead of you when you pull into the line.
2. There is a new PHOTO required if and only if you respond yes, that there are vehicles ahead of you. You must take a photo of the vehicles ahead of you. This photo slot is not visible before answering the question and the photo is NOT listed in the guidelines.

Currently having to request someone higher than the editor take a look at this as my shop was rejected for not having this photo.

****shop has been approved!****(
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More About Coffee Shop Mystery Shopping
February 05, 2026 10:58AM
Thanks for the heads up. Do you or anyone here, have any clues about the MSC for this one? not sure I know what the magic app is - simple clue would be appreciated.

Life was passing like a hand waving from a train I wanted to be on
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February 05, 2026 11:15AM
"suddenly as if by magic : immediately"

Shopping Arkansas, Louisiana, & Mississippi.
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February 05, 2026 11:32AM
@BarefootBliss wrote:

Thanks for the heads up. Do you or anyone here, have any clues about the MSC for this one? not sure I know what the magic app is - simple clue would be appreciated.

Oh, Barefoot, you're practically OG here on the forum! You know the magic app! Where the gas stations you do are posted in addition to the MSC's Sassie site.
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February 05, 2026 09:10PM
ok! magic is the one they usually refer to as an otter or seal or....

Life was passing like a hand waving from a train I wanted to be on
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February 05, 2026 10:52PM
Or a sneering squirrel! Yesss!
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February 05, 2026 10:59PM
lol Bare, they are insta-shops. I won't do them because they want you to describe the folks that work there by their ethnicities.
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February 05, 2026 11:17PM
Not the coffee shop... no employee description


@Morledzep wrote:

lol Bare, they are insta-shops. I won't do them because they want you to describe the folks that work there by their ethnicities.
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February 05, 2026 11:36PM
7Brew, the coffee kiosk drivethru places that litter TN. There are 3 or 4 in the places that we normally go to in TN to do other shops. I read the guidelines and it said clearly in the guidelines that one of the descriptors was ethinicity.

I didn't save the guidelines on this computer, mostly because I won't describe people by guessing why their skin is a different color, or who they sleep with, or their religion. In fact, I won't describe myself that way either. I always click "other" and put "human" in the dialogue box.
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February 06, 2026 12:28AM
Looking at the guidelines at this very second... no mention of ethnicity.


@Morledzep wrote:

7Brew, the coffee kiosk drivethru places that litter TN. There are 3 or 4 in the places that we normally go to in TN to do other shops. I read the guidelines and it said clearly in the guidelines that one of the descriptors was ethinicity.

I didn't save the guidelines on this computer, mostly because I won't describe people by guessing why their skin is a different color, or who they sleep with, or their religion. In fact, I won't describe myself that way either. I always click "other" and put "human" in the dialogue box.
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February 06, 2026 12:58AM
Most mystery shop reports request that you NOT describe someone by their ethnicity.
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February 06, 2026 02:49AM
viv,

I know. I've seen the new guidelines. But MSCs change things in guidelines without changing the questionaire quite often. So I thought it was best to stand back and wait until I need something to do desperately.
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February 06, 2026 11:13AM
It's escaping me now and it may have changed, but didn't the FG report ask for ethnicity in the cashier description? I seem to remember that...I know for certain one of popular shops did.
IMHO, we are either now or rapidly approaching the point in the US, where unless it's very obvious, most of us would only be guessing - and that can't lead to anything positive at all.

Life was passing like a hand waving from a train I wanted to be on
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February 06, 2026 11:15AM
I waiting to see if Dutch Brothers coffee drive thrus pop up as shops....

Has anyone seen them? It's good to see Starbux and Dunkin starting to get a run for their money.

Coffee is one of the only vices I have left.

Life was passing like a hand waving from a train I wanted to be on
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February 06, 2026 11:36AM
The only coffee places that are shopped near me are 7Brew & Bigby. I don't like the drinks but my husband & kids do. I only drink hot coffee with a coconut/ almond creamer. No iced/ frufru drinks for me. I'll take one sip of each drink to make sure the temp is what it's supposed to be and confirm all you can really taste is sugar then someone else gets a nice treat.



@BarefootBliss wrote:

I waiting to see if Dutch Brothers coffee drive thrus pop up as shops....

Has anyone seen them? It's good to see Starbux and Dunkin starting to get a run for their money.

Coffee is one of the only vices I have left.
Reply
February 06, 2026 12:40PM
I picked up a Ziggi's Coffee while in CO last fall. All of these little coffee shops are popping up now. What will happen when the trend shifts? What will become of these portable boxes?
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February 06, 2026 04:21PM
I agree, I feel like 90% of stores are either gas stations or coffee shops. It's beyond crazy around here.


@gigishopper wrote:

I picked up a Ziggi's Coffee while in CO last fall. All of these little coffee shops are popping up now. What will happen when the trend shifts? What will become of these portable boxes?
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February 06, 2026 10:33PM
Our 7 Brew is in a middle of a parking lot in a shop center.. Why would any one put a coffee shop in a middle of a parking lot?


We have several Star Bucks where I lice and I know of at least two of them. cars are lined up the middle of the highway.
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February 07, 2026 09:30AM
The two 7 Brew locations that I have visited and the two Dutch Brothers locations I have visited, they have a different business model than Starbucks.
All of these locations were in the middle of parking lots, in order to accommodate two drive thru lanes - they require more real estate than a simple pull into a store model, such as Starbucks.
They were tucked into parking lots that had lots of available space - i.e. not as many in-person shoppers anymore needing space.

Now that I think about it, they are not like Starbucks attempting to draw in "coffeehouse" type customers or that experience.
They are more about all manner of drinks, including coffee drinks. Has to be cheaper for them to just build those little shacks and parking lanes, versus Starbucks with sitting areas, tables, restrooms, etc.

I suspect both models have their places, depending on location.

Life was passing like a hand waving from a train I wanted to be on
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February 07, 2026 12:14PM
We watched the 7B by our house the "built." It was delivered in one piece and placed there within hours like a modular home. I suspect it could be removed very easily or converted to a different business as the trend shifts.
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February 09, 2026 06:45PM
@gigishopper wrote:

We watched the 7B by our house the "built." It was delivered in one piece and placed there within hours like a modular home. I suspect it could be removed very easily or converted to a different business as the trend shifts.

There's a Dutch Bros' that opened by me, and I think it was pretty similar because it seemed to pop up overnight!
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February 09, 2026 07:36PM
What is the deal with 7Brew? We just got one in our city and the line is 15-20 cars long, and backed up in to a major intersection all day long. Is it the best coffee ever??
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February 09, 2026 09:14PM
I don't like it...
The trend is all these flavors and they have a TON. So 100g of sugar later, lol.



@Cassiespark wrote:

What is the deal with 7Brew? We just got one in our city and the line is 15-20 cars long, and backed up in to a major intersection all day long. Is it the best coffee ever??
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February 09, 2026 11:08PM
I don't like sweet coffee. It seems as if all of their drinks, every variety, is full of either sugar or artificial sweeteners. It wouldn't keep me from doing a shop, but I don't like HUGE amounts of sugar in my food and drinks.
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February 10, 2026 09:12AM
It seems like a new concept to get people to pay bigger dollars for very large cups of
sweet and colorful iced drinks....some based on coffee, some not.
I don't like sweet drinks, so I just tell them what I want (usually iced coffee)
and they make it for me....because I also see that customization is part of what they are selling.

Life was passing like a hand waving from a train I wanted to be on


Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2026 09:31AM by BarefootBliss.
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February 10, 2026 09:29AM
That's ok Bare, I'll pass anyway.

There is something about this area, EVERYTHING has to be sweet, sickeningly sweet, and the restaurants don't, or maybe won't, tell you if they are going to put aspartame in your drink.

I had that problem at a BWW a week or two ago.. I decided that I wanted to try a different alcoholic beverage than the house margarita that I normally get. One sip and I sent it back and asked for the margarita instead. I really can't deal with aspartame at all, and absolutely nothing covers up that weird aftertaste.

And a couple months before that I stopped at Starbucks for Hot White Mocha and the syrup they used was sugar free - aspartame. I asked them to remake it with regular syrup, and they said the sugar free syrup is the only syrup they have. I don't buy sweet coffee drinks at Starbucks anymore, and I don't like their regular drip coffee, so I just don't bother with Starbucks anymore.
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February 10, 2026 03:20PM
@Cassiespark wrote:

What is the deal with 7Brew? We just got one in our city and the line is 15-20 cars long, and backed up in to a major intersection all day long. Is it the best coffee ever??

Very popular with teens and 20s crowd...heavy on TikTok and other digital marketing. They also have a rewards program, and my daughters, friends, etc. seem to plan their visits around double points, BOGO, etc. days.
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