Scooter’s Coffee owners still plan on putting a drive-thru in Wellington, just not immediately
By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — What is the up with the proposal with Scooter’s Coffee coming to Wellington?
Well, it’s on hold. But it is still very much in the works.
Ryan Kromer, the owner of four Scooter’s stores in south-central Kansas, told Sumner Newscow this morning that he and his wife Sarah are busy opening up stores in Arkansas City and Bel Aire.
“We are currently building our fifth and sixth store,” Kromer said. “So, at this moment, we are using our capital and resources to get those two locations in operation. Once we do that, then we will start focusing on Wellington.”
He estimates that the stores will open sometime at the end of this year.
Scooter’s Coffee first approached the Wellington school board about opening a Drive Thru just adjacent east of Casey’s East convenience store on U.S. 160 on the northeast corner of USD 353 property.
That location was not going to work as Casey’s neither gave them the permission to use its parking lot as an entry to the proposed facility, nor was the Kansas Department of Transporation willing to build an access from U.S. 160.
“We have two locations we are strongly looking at the moment,” Kromer said. “Both are east of the roundabout on U.S. 160.”
He thinks Wellington will be the focus sometime next January.
The Kromers have four locations currently open: Valley Center, Independence, Augusta and Winfield.
The company serves high-quality hot drinks, iced drinks, blenders, smoothies, teas, and sandwich food items.
In a previous article, Kromer told the school board that he estimates there could be up to 28 employees and anticipates using many high school students for employment, especially during the hours of 4 to 8 p.m.
The hours would be 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m on Sundays.
The company was born in 1998 in Bellevue, Neb.
