WORTHINGTON — Before the end of the year, Worthington will be home to a new drive-thru coffee shop.
Scooter's, part of a growing national chain with a regional franchise owned by Blu Water Brew LLC, is constructing a new coffeehouse on the west edge of the Schwalbach Ace Hardware lot along Oxford Street in Worthington. Franchise owner Robb Steffes said the hope is to have the building completed and staff hired for an opening around Thanksgiving.
Founded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles, when they opened their first drive-thru coffeehouse in Bellevue, Nebraska, Scooter’s Coffee drive-thrus have spread to 16 states during the past two-plus decades. The business has grown with a commitment to serve high-quality drinks with the motto, "Amazing People, Amazing Drinks, Amazingly Fast!"
Strictly a drive-thru business, Scooter’s Coffee (scooterscoffee.com) offers a variety of hot, iced and blended drinks, smoothies, teas and foods ranging from muffins, donuts and cookies to toasted bagels, cinnamon rolls, breakfast burritos and breakfast sandwiches.
“Scooters is known for their Caramelicious — it’s kind of the signature drink,” said Steffes, adding that all of their drinks are fully customizable. All of the food products are made at the Scooters home base in Omaha.
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“Being in these smaller communities, it becomes a destination place for everyone,” Steffes said. “We’re just really looking forward to getting to know the town.”
Construction crews have fenced in the area where the building is to be constructed, and work is set to begin in the coming days.
While several locations were considered in Worthington, Steffes said the Oxford Street site offered the traffic count they were looking for, as well as the space and street access they needed to operate a drive-thru. Being in close proximity to Ace Hardware is hoped to benefit both businesses.
Steffes, of Omaha, along with a partner, own Scooter’s Coffee drive-thrus in Okoboji, Spirit Lake, Arnold’s Park and Spencer, Iowa. They'll also open a location in Fairmont next month.
“We’re going to continue to look at other areas in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota,” he said. “It’s a good Midwestern-value franchise that is really looking to grow in the Upper Midwest.”
The Worthington business will employ up to 15 people with a mix of both full- and part-time jobs available. Steffes said they are looking for a store manager as well, and will begin the hiring process in the near future.
