Inta Juice/Subway to close, 7-Brew is brewing

Foreground: 7 Brew Coffee Logo | Background: Subway/Inta Juice on Dell Range Blvd - Optopolis

Inta Juice* and Subway on the corner of Dell Range Boulevard and Bluegrass Circle are both set to close this Tuesday, and plans are being put in place to replace the two businesses with a 7-Brew Coffee.

A bit of history: Skippers, TCBY, Bagelmakers, Subway

The building in which Inta Juice and Subway reside is noted in the property assessor as built in 1988. City directories indicate that the building was likely originally occupied by Skipper's Seafood and Chowder House. The directories no longer listed this Skipper's location as of the mid 90s, and nowadays, Skipper's is mostly located in the northwestern United States.

An open Skipper's location in Silverdale, WA. Cheyenne's location once displayed a similar self-standing sign that also leaned, similar to the way that this sign leans. - Optopolis

Starting in the 1996 directory, Baglemakers was listed at the former Skipper's location. As of 2007, Bagelmakers was paired with TCBY and Subway, but by 2011, the TCBY branding had been dropped. In the mid-2010s, Inta Juice replaced Bagelmakers, and Inta Juice* still operates alongside Subway to this day.

Subway & Cheyenne's only Inta Juice to close this Tuesday

Upon passing by the restaurant on May 18th, newly posted closing signs could be seen posted in both the public entry doors into the Subway/Inta Juice combo restaurant. The signage indicates that Subway and Inta Juice* are closing, and that the last day of business will be Tuesday, May 21st.

This closing sign is displayed on both entry doors into the restaurant. - Optopolis

The signs also encourage visitors to visit another Subway, of which, five others are listed--East Lincolnway, Central Avenue, West Carlson Street, North Greeley Highway, and Livingston Avenue. There are also other Cheyenne Subway locations including but not limited to East 12th Street (Loaf N Jug) and West College Drive (Sinclair).

On the other hand, the nearest Inta Juice locations are all in Colorado, including locations in Windsor, Loveland, Greeley, and Longmont. That is, except for one, in Laramie, Wyoming.

Inta Juice seen in Loveland, Colorado along Garfield Avenue - Optopolis

Plans being assembled for 7-Brew Coffee (and what's 7-Brew?)

As soon as December 2023, it was determined here at Optopolis that plans of some sort were starting to be put in place for a 7-Brew Coffee at the location of this Subway/Inta Juice. 7-Brew Coffee is yet another drive thru coffee chain that currently has locations in the eastern half of the United States and none in Wyoming (yet). It's worth mentioning that 7-Brew does have other drinks besides coffee, but coffee is still their vocal point as can be seen in their current menu.

The stakes holding this public notice sign still are present although the sign seems to have blown away since this photo was taken in December 2023. - Optopolis

The Cheyenne Development Projects ArcGIS map has two project items listed at the location of this Subway. PUDC-23-189 has been approved, and it includes a "staff report" document regarding rezoning the land from NB Neighborhood Business to CB Community Business. The purpose listed is "to allow a drive-through restaurant with fewer design standards." On the other hand, PUDC-24-43 is under review and links to public meeting documents which haven't yet been added; however, it clarifies that this project item is for "redevelopment of the property into a drive-through coffee shop." As of yet, no permits appear to have been submitted for any work on the building.

Founder and then-owner of 7-Brew Coffee, Ron Crume, opened the first 7-Brew in Rogers, AK in February 2017 with two more underway by October. Their name, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, is "named for the biblical use of the number 7 to indicate completion or perfection." In January 2020, 7-Brew was acquired by Brew Culture which, as noted by Forbes, expanded the brand from seven units to nine, but this is only the beginning.

7-Brew in Vestal, NY, seen operating in late 2023 - Google Maps Street View

In 2021, Jamie Coulter (Lone Star Steak House founder) and Jimmy John Liautaud (founder of Jimmy John's) acquired a majority stake in the 7-Brew concept under the name Drink House Holdings. To no one's surprise in 2022, the number of 7-brew locations was tripled, and 7-Brew "continued its rapid growth in 2023." However, in early 2023 and into early 2024, there was a legal dispute over ownership of 7-Brew that was ultimately settled. Some of Liataud's stock in 7-Brew was also sold to private equity business, Blackstone.

As of recently, 7-Brew has been expanding westward, opening three locations in Colorado since September 2023, and another location is in the works for Aurora. They also opened a location in Rapid City, South Dakota last December. In the next five years, there are already plans to open 31 locations in the Denver Metro area alone. There is also a 7-Brew planned for Casper, expected to open this summer according to Google Maps.

View of Subway/Inta Juice from in front of the Center One Plaza and on Prairie Avenue - Optopolis

It's not currently clear whether Cheyenne's 7-Brew would demolish the Subway building (although seeing what happens at most locations and the format of the current building, demolition is certainly a possibility at this point). It's still possible that permits could be denied or even something else could result in this project falling through. When searching the city planning website for permits, no permits appear to have been submitted for 7-Brew just yet.

*Inta juice is a small chain based out of Colorado. It is not to be confused with another larger chain called Jamba Juice nor is it to be confused with local Cheyenne restaurant, Ruby Juice.

Maybe losing this Subway location isn't the end of the world since there are other Subway locations in Cheyenne, but this is Cheyenne's only Inta Juice; will you miss having a local Inta Juice location? Have you heard of 7-Brew Coffee before, or is this the first time you've heard of this coffee drive thru brand? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Published: 05/19/2024 at 2:30 PM MT

Updated: 05/19/2024 at 3:42 PM MT to add a detail about the menu; 7-Brew does offer other beverages besides coffee, but coffee is still their main thing that makes them "7-Brew Coffee;" it's in their name.

Updated: 05/19/2024 at 7:41 PM MT to add a clarification.* Inta Juice is not to be confused with other brands with similar "Juice" names.

Updated: 05/22/2024 at 7:09 PM MT to add Laramie WY as a location for Inta; Laramie has an Inta location.

Updated: 05/27/2024 at 11:27 PM MT to add info about a Casper, WY 7-Brew location that is in the works.