Iowa Coffee Landscape May be Altered by Aggressive Scooter’s Expansion

A Scooter’s coffee drive-through store

If brothers Steve and David Froscheiser have their way, there may soon be a Scooter’s Coffee shop on every street corner in the greater Des Moines, Iowa-area. The Nebraska-based chain has announced that the brothers have signed a licensing deal to own and operate Scooter’s franchises throughout the state, where the company plans to add at least 20 stores over the next two years.

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Their focus will primarily be on the Des Moines/Ames metropolitan area, which despite a metro population of some 600,000 people has been generally underserved in the specialty coffee segment, with the exception of ever-present national chains like Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, and a small handful of craft-focused independents like Mars Cafe. The brothers plan to operate some of the shops, and they are actively seeking franchisees for others.

“We’re really looking to capitalize on the Scooter’s brand strength in the Midwest with active advancement in Iowa,” David Froscheiser said in an announcement.

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15-year-old Scooter’s specializes in quick-service coffee and espresso drinks, as well as fruit smoothies, teas and other specialty drinks. The company now owns stores in seven states, recently developing quick-build drive-through stores and moving away from frozen yogurt sales, which helped build the business.