Scooter's Coffee Nears 1,000 Stores Amid Drive-Thru
Scooter's Coffee is rapidly expanding its drive-thru-focused footprint, with plans to surpass 1,000 locations by 2027.
Scooter's Coffee added a net 99 locations in 2024 and finished 2025 with 906 stores. The 1998-founded brand, which started in Bellevue, Nebraska, is on track to eclipse the 1,000-unit mark, joining larger beverage chains like Dutch Bros and Dunkin'.
Growth Trajectory and Store Counts
Scooter's had 555 stores at the start of 2023 and exited that year with 650 locations. The company's recent Franchise Disclosure Document outlines plans for 79 gross new franchised outlets in fiscal 2026 and touts a pipeline of 242 signed agreements for stores not yet opened. This year's growth is concentrated in states including Illinois, Florida, and Texas.
The chain's expansion has been primarily through franchising. In 2025, it opened 85 franchised restaurants while terminating two, not renewing one, and reacquiring one from a franchisee. Twenty-four Scooter's locations ceased operations for "other reasons."
Financial Performance and Market Context
Scooter's finished 2025 with U.S. Systemwide sales of $859 million and average-unit volumes just under $1 million. The brand's comparable sales base of 525 restaurants posted same-store sales growth of 8.9 percent.
Here is how Scooter's unit-level performance compares to key competitors in the drive-thru coffee segment, according to the source:
| Brand | Systemwide Sales (2025) | Average Unit Volume (AUV) |
|---|---|---|
| Scooter's Coffee | $859 million | Just under $1 million |
| Dutch Bros | $2.2 billion | $2.1 million |
| 7 Brew | $1.2 billion | $2.6 million |
| Starbucks | $30.2 billion | ~$1.8 million |
| Dunkin' | $13.1 billion | $1.4 million |
| Black Rock Coffee Bar | $200 million | $1.3 million |
Store Formats and Development
Scooter's operates primarily through two distinct drive-thru formats. The company reports financial results separately for "kiosk drive-thru stores" and franchised "end-cap drive-thrus." Kiosks are standalone, drive-thru-only boxes typically 650-700 square feet with no seating. End-caps are larger units, 800-1,400 square feet, housed in strip centers with indoor ordering and a drive-thru window.
As of December 31, 2025, the system comprised 781 kiosk units (768 franchised) and 62 end-cap locations. An additional 51 stores were classified as "other," which includes venues in hospitals, malls, and airports, some with substantial indoor seating.
The kiosk footprint has seen significant growth, increasing from 275 units in 2021 to 768 by the end of 2025. End-cap growth has been more measured, rising from 53 units between 2021 and 2023 to 62 in 2025.
Franchise Investment and Brand Moves
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a single Scooter's Coffee franchise ranges from $658,898 to $1.3 million. This includes an initial fee of $220,000 to $286,000 paid to the franchisor. For developers signing a multiple store agreement for two to five stores, the total investment range is $678,898 to $1.466 million.
In other brand news, Scooter's recently secured the No. 1 best coffee chain ranking in Newsweek's 2026 Readers' Choice Award. The company also completed a $375 million whole business securitization in June 2025 and appointed Anna Faktorovich, formerly of KFC U.S. And CAVA, as its new chief marketing officer in August.
