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Council approves drive-thru 7 Brew coffee stand, grants hours variance and CUP

5376990 · July 12, 2025

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Summary

The council approved a variance to allow 05:30 a.m. opening, a conditional use permit for a drive-thru, and the site plan and building permit authorization for a 510-square-foot 7 Brew drive‑thru coffee stand at 15440 English Avenue.

The Apple Valley City Council on July 10 approved three related items allowing a 7 Brew drive-thru coffee stand at the northwest corner of Pilot Knob Road and Fifth Street West (address 15440 English Avenue).

Carter, a planning staff member, summarized the application for Cooper Coffee Minnesota LLC: the project is a prefabricated 510-square-foot drive-thru coffee building on roughly a 1-acre parcel with a 280-square-foot accessory cooler, two drive-thru lanes, no indoor seating and order windows serving customers. The site is in the RB Retail Business zoning district and the MBC Mixed Business Campus land-use designation. The Planning Commission reviewed the proposal on June 18 and recommended approval.

Council action included three adopted resolutions: a variance to expand operating hours for the Class 3 neighborhood restaurant from the code limit of 6 a.m.–11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.–11 p.m.; a conditional use permit to allow a drive‑thru in conjunction with a Class 3 neighborhood restaurant; and site-plan approval and building-permit authorization for the proposed facility. Motions recorded in the meeting: the variance motion was moved by Council Member Melander and seconded by Council Member Grendel and carried on voice vote; the conditional use permit motion was moved by Council Member Bridal and seconded by Council Member Melander and carried; the site plan and building-permit authorization motion carried after a motion from Council Member Grama and second by Council Member Bergman.

Applicant representative Zach said the facility will include a walk-up order window for pedestrians and cyclists in addition to the drive-thru lanes, and noted the operation model is similar to other drive-up coffee stands. Planning staff described required conditions including a 15-foot landscaping buffer along Pilot Knob Road, compliance with utility connections, adherence to parking/queuing requirements, and landscaping equal to 2.5% of the building construction value. The council approved the three resolutions subject to the conditions in the staff drafts.