Scooter’s Coffee opens Fairfield, Mt. Pleasant locations, plans one in Washington

FAIRFIELD — Scooter’s Coffee is a drive-thru franchise that has been growing by leaps and bounds, which included building stores in Fairfield and Mt. Pleasant in 2021, with plans to build one in Washington.

Since its founding in Bellevue, Nebraska, in 1998, the company has expanded into 23 states and more than 350 locations. The stores in Fairfield and Mt. Pleasant were built at the same time in the summer of 2021, opened that fall and held their grand openings just one week apart in early December. The Fairfield store is located on the west edge of town, at 2105 W. Burlington Ave.

Jeremy Music is a managing partner for Scooter’s Coffee, and is responsible for finding lots for new locations and helping build the stores. He helped build the Scooter’s Coffee in Burlington in 2018, where he also owns two businesses, WingShop and Billy Sims Barbecue.

Music and his two other business partners, Kris Pickens and Don Peterson, own High Porch Coffee. The company’s name is based on the title of a book by Hayden Fry called “Hayden Fry: A High Porch Picnic,” which the three owners liked since they are all graduates of the University of Iowa.

High Porch Coffee did a deal with Scooter’s Coffee to build 35 stores in Iowa and Illinois. High Porch Coffee has already built nine of them, and acquired an existing building in Ottumwa which was converted into a Scooter’s in 2019. Music said Washington is one of those 35 commitments, but he and his partners are still looking for a location to build the store. Their goal is always to find a high-traffic road where customers can get in and out quickly.

Music said his company will begin construction on two more stores in April, both in Illinois, in Milan and Princeton.

Most of Scooter’s stores are drive-thru only, but some have coffee houses, too, where customers can sit down. The store in Fairfield is drive-thru only.

“Scooter’s is built on speed and service,” Music said. “Most of the business goes through the drive-thru, especially now. We did not feel any effects from COVID because the drive-thru is what really survived.”

Music said having drive-thru only stores makes the business run more efficiently since it allows for smaller and simpler buildings.

Music said he’s been very happy with the response to the new stores in Fairfield and Mt. Pleasant.

“Our goal is to give back as much as we can,” he said. “Our management staff tries to get out into the community to help in any way we can. My partners and I like giving back.”

Scooter’s serves not only coffee but also espresso, fruit smoothies, energy drinks, lattes, pastries and its signature drink called “Caramelicious.”

“You can get them all hot, iced or blended,” Music said.

Trisha Doudou is the district manager of the Fairfield store, and oversees four others. She said her employees are committed to delivering fast and reliable service.

“There’s a lot of work to do like prep and cleaning, and if you watch these guys, as soon as that drive-thru beeps, they stop what they’re doing and go make those drinks,” she said.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com