Scooter’s Coffee planned to open in Lebanon

Lebanon will soon have another place to get an early morning cup of coffee.

The city Planning Commission approved the site plan to construct a Scooter’s Coffee drive-through on West Main Street/Ohio 63 west of Neil Armstrong Way.

According to city planning commission documents, the site has 0.73 acres in the parcel next to Big Mike’s Gas N Go which opened this year.

The 644 square-foot building will be accessed through the Big Mike’s full access point from West Main Street and there will be a small driveway along the property frontage to connect this parcel and another undeveloped parcel. In addition, the new coffee shop will also have a patio for people to enjoy their coffee.

Lebanon residents Matt Smith and his wife, Ellen, are developing the Scooter’s location. He said they moved to Lebanon two years ago and they “have been wanting to serve Lebanon for a long time.”

“There aren’t too many drive-thru coffee shops in Lebanon,” he said. “We hope to people in and out in three minutes.”

Smith is working to open a Scooter’s Coffee location on Dixie Highway/Ohio 4 in Fairfield and is planning to build two more locations in addition to the Lebanon site. He said he’s looking at possible sites in Monroe, Liberty Twp. and in Maineville.

“I love Scooter’s Coffee and its core values and that it’s a fast-paced business,” he said. “It’s a great quality product.

Smith said he hopes to begin construction before winter starts or early spring 2024.

He expects to employ 25 to 30 people with a full-time group of six to eight employees. Once open, Smith said the hours of operation will be from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

In 1998, Scooter’s Coffee was started by co-founders Don and Linda Eckles when they opened their first drive-thru coffeehouse in Bellevue, Neb., according to the company website.

The company opened its 700th store on Oct. 6 in Elkhart, Ind., according to the company website.

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