Southwest Florida’s coffee wars are heating up. A wave of drive-thru chains is crowding busy roads with small stores, big expansion plans and plenty of caffeine, betting there are enough commuters to keep everyone’s windows busy.
7 Brew is accelerating its Southwest Florida expansion. After opening its second regional stand in south Fort Myers, the fast-growing drive-thru coffee chain has two more locations slated to open this fall in Punta Gorda and Fort Myers.
That NY Bagel Place opened this summer in Winchester Center off Immokalee Road in Golden Gate Estates.
St. Matthew’s House closed LuLu’s Kitchen in June, with plans to retool the restaurant for a new concept in East Naples.
Piccolo Buco, a Cooper’s Hawk Winery spinoff, opened in July in the new Marketplace at Coconut Point in Estero.
Moe’s Southwest Grille at Granada Shoppes in North Naples was one of many locations that closed this year in Florida.
Dutch Bros Coffee is eyeing the former Sonic site in East Naples, while Just Salad opens its first Southwest Florida location and Empire Bagel Factory adds three more locations across the region.
Three coffee brands are racing toward openings near Edison Mall. 7 Brew, Urban Buzz Coffee Co. and Foxtail Coffee are expected to debut within months of each other, creating a new coffee corridor along Cleveland Avenue in Fort Myers.
Punta Gorda officials approved plans for a 7 Brew Coffee drive-thru on Tamiami Trail after the developer agreed to revise the building’s facade to better match nearby architecture.
The second location, located in North Fort Myers at 18961 Del Tura Plaza Lane, will begin construction in January under the oversight of Stevens Construction and is also due for completion in summer 2026.
