AMHERST, N.Y. (WKBW) — A new 7 Brew Drive Thru Coffee shop in the town of Amherst is creating significant traffic problems at the busy intersection of Maple Road and North Bailey, with cars backing up in the road as customers wait to try the viral coffee chain.
"I came up this way and I'm like, why are all these cars parked in the middle of the road. Then I get up and I look — oh my goodness. It's a traffic hazard," Ann Raderman of the Town of Tonawanda said. “This is crazy.”
Raderman tells me she believes the location was poorly chosen for such a popular business.
"I think it's in a bad spot. I think they chose a very bad location because this is a busy intersection to begin with, and once Costco and everything else opens up there, this is only going to get 10 times worse," Raderman said.
The traffic backup extends along North Bailey as customers enter the driveway of the drive-thru, creating safety concerns for local officials.
WATCH: 'I’d say it's worth it': New coffee chain causes traffic jams in Amherst
Amherst Town Supervisor Shawn Lavin tells me he's monitoring the situation closely.
"Traffic is a tough problem with that. I just don't like that there's lingering traffic in the center lane of that intersection. That part's a safety concern of mine. But I like businesses that are busy. It just shows the popularity of Amherst that companies are coming here," Lavin said. "I worry for the safety aspect, but I'm also recognizing how important it is for people to want to be part of this community and the companies and the businesses.”
Despite the traffic issues, customers seem willing to wait for their drinks.
7 Brew staff members are directing traffic in and out of the driveway, and orders are taken once customers pull into the lot.
"It looked like a long line, but it wasn't that bad," customer Lucia Liberti said.
Another customer, Kamryn Krezmein, said the wait was "worth it, honestly."
The coffee chain has gained popularity on social media, particularly among younger customers.
Five teenagers drove from East Aurora specifically to try the trending drinks.
"It's very viral on TikTok. We've seen they have lots of different drinks, and we're just like, we just gotta try it," Nicolette Baker said.
Krezmein says she was drawn to the colorful beverages, saying, "The hot colored drinks, like, these colors, they're bright, they catch your eye."
Ellee Sharpless explained that word-of-mouth brought her group to the location during February break.
"All our friends were talking about it. You know, we're on February break right now, so nothing else to do. We drove down here and thought we'd try it out," Sharpless said.
Customer Bree Baker praised her drink choice, saying, "I got a crème brûlée latte. Super good, really good."
They told me they thought their choices were very tasty.
"I got a Pink Paradise Lemonade, and it’s really good!" Sharpless said.
"I got an Ocean Breeze Energy with one cream in," Liberti said.
Krezmien chose an actual coffee brew, selecting the Brown Sugar Americano. "It tastes very fresh, some very fresh, some very good coffee," Krezmien said.
The local manager of the franchise was not available for comment, but 7 Brew confirmed plans to open additional drive-thru locations in Hamburg, Niagara Falls, Lockport and other surrounding communities.
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