The Midwest-based Scooter’s Coffee chain announced April 21 it is entering the Jacksonville market.
Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Scooter’s sells its beverages from drive-thru kiosks of about 650 square feet.
Scooter’s says it signed a single-unit franchise agreement with Jennifer Redcloud and Dorie Robinson, friends of more than 20 years.
“We both love coffee so we decided to look for a coffee franchise,” Redcloud said in a news release.
“We hadn’t heard of Scooter’s Coffee, we just googled ‘best coffee franchises’ and it came up first.”
The news release didn’t say where or when the Jacksonville franchise would open.
The Jacksonville Daily Record reported in December that Scooter’s planned to open this summer at 151 Park Ave. in Orange Park.
The parcel is along U.S. 17 south of Interstate 295 next to a new Hampton Inn & Suites.
Scooter’s says that according to the National Coffee Association, the number of people who reported buying coffee at a coffee shop or restaurant has risen 20% since January of 2021.
“We fell in love with the company’s core values, as well as the way they treat their employees and support their franchisees,” Redcloud said.
“This is going to be a great fit for us.”
Scooter’s says it offers artisan espresso drinks, fruit smoothies and baked-from-scratch pastries.
Its signature drink is the Caramelicious, an espresso that features caramel sauce, frothy hot milk and whipped cream drizzled with caramel.
It also offers organic hot and iced teas.
Franklin Street Real Estate Services Senior Associate Abby Walsh, who represents Scooter’s, said in December the company planned as many as 16 locations in Northeast Florida.
The closest Scooter’s to Jacksonville is in Gainesville. There is a location in Rockledge near Cocoa Beach and four in the Cape Coral area.
Scooter’s was founded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles in Bellevue, Nebraska.