By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
Nebraska-based Scooter’s Coffee has announced a Hays location is expected to open this summer.
While details remain sparse, the chain confirmed a Hays location is planned at 2405 Vine. The property was previously home to Lucky Buffet.
A Scooter’s Coffee representative said a new building is planned for the location and will follow its drive-through kiosk model.
An opening is expected in June or early July and the business will employ about 15 people, he said.
Founded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles in Bellevue, Neb., Scooter’s Coffee headquarters are in Omaha, Neb.
The chain is “best known for its amazingly fast drive-through, specialty coffee and baked-from-scratch pastries,” a company representative said.
“Scooter’s Coffee is approaching 450 stores in 23 states nationwide,” the representative said.
Its franchise disclosure document for 2021 also showed the company is expanding inside of their locations as well, with an increase in same-store sales of more than 26 percent — and the model planned for Hays did even better, with 31 percent growth reported.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to report such impressive growth, especially given the challenges introduced in 2020,” said Scooter’s Coffee vice president of franchise sales, Tim Arpin, in a press release announcing the 2021 trends. “We’re most proud of the fact that it emphasizes the trust our brand has with customers.
“Everyone watched their spending last year, and yet so many customers saw our products and service worthy of their dollar,” he said. “That’s incredibly exciting for the brand, its franchisees and those looking to join the Scooter’s Coffee family going forward.”
And while Scooters will join a number of local and national chain coffee shops in Hays, industry growth trends show no end in sight.
According to Statista, revenue in the coffee market segment amounted to more than $90 million in the U.S. in 2022 and is expected to grow annually by 4.34 percent.
And “by 2025, 89 percent of spending and 21 percent of volume consumption in the coffee segment will be attributable to out-of-home consumption,” Statista said, with total volume growth of 1.9 percent projected in that same time frame.
Statista said, “value sales of coffee have been propelled in recent years by the out-of-home sector, which is more relevant in this segment than in many other drinks categories.”
Statista added premium coffee drink sales have grown as coffee moves from a way to obtain caffeine into more of an experience.
That Scooter’s menu “includes a number of signature drinks including the Caramelicious, along with an array of specialty espresso beverages, single-origin coffee, fruit smoothies, Red Bull infusions, cold brew, baked-from-scratch pastries and breakfast options,” according to the company.
Bringing their menu to the area is one of the primary reasons cited for choosing Hays as a location for a new site.
“New Scooter’s Coffee locations are chosen by a number of factors,” the spokesman said. “A lot of times, the franchisees have a connection to the community. Other times, we see that a community shares our core values. But no matter what the case may be, we see a need for specialty coffee in your area.”
For more information about Scooter’s Coffee, visit their website, scooterscoffee.com.
