Scooter's Coffee continues to grow in Columbia amid COVID-19 pandemic

Lauren Tronstad, Columbia Daily Tribune
·2 min read
Kevin Hall has opened his third Columbia location of Scooter's Coffee at 2101 W. Ash St. Hall owns other Scooter’s Coffee locations in the Lake of the Ozarks, Jefferson City, Macon and Moberly.
Kevin Hall has opened his third Columbia location of Scooter's Coffee at 2101 W. Ash St. Hall owns other Scooter’s Coffee locations in the Lake of the Ozarks, Jefferson City, Macon and Moberly.

Scooter's Coffee continues to grow in mid-Missouri despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coffee franchise celebrated the grand opening of its third Columbia location Friday.

Franchisee Kevin Hall owns all three Columbia locations and others in the Lake of the Ozarks, Jefferson City, Macon and Moberly.

"It's just a good business," Hall said. "It has a great corporate culture, and the drive-thru concept, I think, has allowed it to continue to prosper during the pandemic."

Many of the chain's 400-plus locations across 23 states are drive-thru only, but the newest addition at 2101 W. Ash St. also has indoor seating available.

Hall opened the first Columbia location three years ago on Old Highway 63 South off Broadway. The second opened later the same year on Grindstone Parkway.

"Since the pandemic, I think people's habits have changed," he said. "When we had to shut down our dining rooms, it wasn't a huge deal because we still had the drive-thru. When we opened the inside back up, people were still hesitant to come back inside."

Amanda McDevitt, a barista at Scooter’s Coffee at 2101 W. Ash St., makes a vanilla latte on Friday during the coffee shop’s grand opening. Scooter's Coffee owner Kevin Hall has opened the third Scooter’s Coffee in Columbia.
Amanda McDevitt, a barista at Scooter’s Coffee at 2101 W. Ash St., makes a vanilla latte on Friday during the coffee shop’s grand opening. Scooter's Coffee owner Kevin Hall has opened the third Scooter’s Coffee in Columbia.

More: Mission-minded Tacos 4 Life restaurant to open new location in Columbia

Another Scooter's is planned to open in March in the building that once housed Harold's Doughnuts on Nifong Boulevard, Hall said.

"Columbia is just a good college town," he said of opening more locations within the city. "It's progressive and has continued growing."

The coffee chain's most popular drink is the "Caramelicious" and is a favorite of director of operations Michelle Clements.

"Scooter's has a really friendly, fun atmosphere," she said when discussing why she likes her job.

"There are a lot of opportunities to grow with the company," said Jennifer Peter, general manager of the West Ash location.

Peter started as a barista with the franchise in 2018 and will be promoted to supervisor of all Columbia locations in early March.

More coffee news: Celebrate National Coffee Day with these five specialty drinks in Columbia

Clements and Peter agreed that the most popular food item on the menu is a breakfast sandwich featuring sausage, egg and cheese on a warmed everything bagel. The cinnamon rolls are a close second, they said.

Both have worked at other Scooter's locations and tout the work environment and people they meet as key elements of the company's growth.

In celebration of the grand opening, the location gave the first 100 customers who made a purchase of $10 or more a $5 gift card.

The chain, which was founded in 1998 in Bellevue, Nebraska, runs its brand on the promise of "Amazing People, Amazing Drinks, Amazingly Fast."

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Scooter's Coffee continues to grow in Columbia despite COVID-19