EDGEWOOD, Md. — The 7 Brew Drive-Thru boasts it can serve customers with 20,000 drink combinations, and people hope it’ll serve as a magnet with its new location near the Edgewater Shopping Village.
“Somewhere to stop. Something that people enjoy. Coffee,” said Willie Evans, Jr. of Edgewood.
“And it helps Edgewood not to become a ghost town,” added his wife, Mildred.
New 7 Brew location along Route 40
The Gentlemens Edge barbershop opened up in the shopping center back in 1999, and Owner Irv Cole has weathered through its downturn.
“27 years ago, it definitely… it was a different shopping center, but that’s retail and brick-and-mortar everywhere,” recalled Cole, “27 years ago, we had Fashion Bug, which I don’t even know if they still exist; if they’re still around. We had movie theaters. We had everything in the shopping center. A lot of things left.”
The prospect of a new magnet; one vehicle, one customer and one cup of joe at a time is appealing.
The company didn’t really have to worry about whether it would find a market for its product here in Harford County. Afterall, it’s already opened another location in Abingdon, which has been quite a success.
Jumpstarting revitalization efforts with java?
Cole is hoping 7 Brew comes through.
“I think they will. I don’t think they’ll do the numbers that Abingdon does just because, like I said, just because of the demographic,” said Cole, “They may not do the same numbers, but I think it definitely will help some of the traffic flow in this area. I think it will and hopefully it’ll have other businesses come to the shopping center as well to help rebuild.”
It’s a hope shared by those who prefer to shopping local, if only there was more of a reason to do so.
“It would be a beautiful thing to keep things going, and you’re seeing people coming in and out and all these stores come back up,” said Willie Evans, Jr., “Give us somewhere to shop.”
