Article originally posted on HERE on September 1, 2026

Coffee chain 7 Brew won a bankruptcy auction for a host of defunct Salad and Go locations, including many in the Valley, edging out rival coffee giant Dutch Bros.

Why it matters: Many of the salad restaurant’s vacant locations will still become drive-thru coffee spots, but they’ll now bear the name of 7 Brew, which is trying to make inroads in Arizona.

• Representatives from 7 Brew did not respond to a request for comment.

State of play: In bankruptcy court Tuesday, 7 Brew was announced as the winner of an auction the day before, having bid more than $143 million for 73 Salad and Go locations, per Nation’s Restaurant News.

• That includes 41 sites in Arizona, where 7 Brew has only three locations — two in Tucson and one in Queen Creek.
• Dutch Bros declined to increase its original bid of $105 million for 65 of the locations, with CEO Christine Barone saying in a statement that the company has “always been disciplined in how we allocate capital.”

Catch up quick: Dutch Bros initially was awarded a bunch of Salad and Go locations, but 7 Brew objected to how that bid was chosen, according to QSR, sparking a court fight that culminated in Monday’s auction.

Zoom in: The Arizona locations set to become 7 Brews include five in Mesa, two in Tempe, three each in Gilbert and Scottsdale and 11 in Phoenix.

• Not all Salad and Go locations were part of the auction, and the remainder will be sold later.
• That includes Salad and Go spots near other coffee chains, making them bad fits for 7 Brew.

What’s next: The sale isn’t final — the court will have to approve the transfer of the leases to 7 Brew in a Sept. 21 hearing. Leaseholders also have until Sept. 17 to object.

• However, unless 7 Brew’s bid somehow collapses, the agreement is basically set.