7 Brew's First CMO Drives Growth with Social Media and New
7 Brew, the fastest-growing U.S. Brand, is accelerating expansion under its first CMO, Nick Chavez, by use its viral social media presence and a new
Drive-thru beverage chain 7 Brew is the fastest-growing brand in the United States, according to a Yelp report. The mostly franchised chain, founded in 2017, operates over 800 stands across 38 states and is on track to surpass 1,000 units this year.
To fuel this expansion, the company hired its first chief marketing officer, Nick Chavez, in late 2024. Chavez, formerly the U.S. CMO of KFC, is focusing on building the brand's marketing organization and capitalizing on its established social media popularity. The chain has over 685,000 followers and 7.5 million likes on TikTok.
"It's been a remarkable period of growth and development for having more 7 Brews in more communities and more places across the country," Chavez told Marketing Dive. "That potential is what attracted me to the brand."
Leaning Into Social Media Momentum
Chavez stated his primary goal was to avoid disrupting the successful social media foundation built by an in-house team of content creators. The brand is known for parody videos on TikTok, including recent takes on "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," and "Mean Girls." These efforts aim to engage with existing fan communities.
The CMO cited two Technomic rankings as core brand strengths to protect. 7 Brew is rated number one in overall consumer rating among all U.S. Quick-service restaurant brands. It also ranks first in likelihood to recommend among U.S. Coffee cafe brands. Marketing efforts are designed to encourage this organic word-of-mouth, through items like branded stickers and car coasters.
Building a Marketing Organization
Chavez is actively building 7 Brew's marketing capabilities, acknowledging the brand operates with a fraction of its competitors' budgets. The company is investing in in-house talent and tools while forming new external partnerships.
It has hired Amp as its media agency of record for data-driven paid digital and social campaigns. The chain also works with various agencies and platforms on content, influencer marketing, and project-based creative work. "We're still a small brand that's growing very quickly, but we'll be ready to compete," Chavez said.
Launch of the 7 Brew App
A key initiative under Chavez was the August launch of 7 Brew's first mobile app. The app reached the top spot on the iOS App Store and remained in the top five at the time of the Marketing Dive report. It simplify the chain's loyalty program and enables order-ahead functionality.
The app addresses a specific customer concern: handling a menu with over 20,000 possible drink combinations across coffee, energy drinks, and smoothies. It is designed to help new customers discover drinks and allows regulars to customize, save, and share their creations.
For the 7 Rewards loyalty program, the app provides easier point tracking. The core program mechanics remain: customers earn 100 points per drink purchase, with a free drink reward at 1,000 points. The new app allows points to be banked beyond 1,000 and introduces new redemption options for branded merchandise.
| Redemption Tier | Reward Item |
|---|---|
| 1,000 points | Any size free drink |
| Higher point levels | 7 Brew swag and merch, up to cornhole sets or a mini fridge |
The app launch was promoted with a TikTok video parodying "2001: A Space Odyssey" and a contest offering loyalty members a chance to win 100,000 points. Chavez described the app as "social by design," tying drink discovery directly to sharing with friends. The chain's growth continues as competitor Dutch Bros reported an 8.3% increase in same-store sales for the second quarter of 2026.
