If you’re heading out the door on these brisk mornings, you’ll want to stop by the new Scooters Coffee located in Pleasant View at 1136 West 2700 N. This 500 square foot drive through only building also has a patio area with outdoor seating.
It’s much more than you think a coffee house would be with specialty steamers, hot cocoa varieties, espresso beverages, teas, blended drinks and, of course, coffee! In addition, you will find baked from scratch pastries such as cinnamon rolls, cookies and savory breakfast options.
Owner, Mike Braunberger, is the first and only one to open two Scooter’s Coffee locations in Utah—one here in Pleasant View and the other in Roy (opened six years now). He’s excited to be expanding the business and says, “It was always our intention to do a drive through. 70-75% of our sales goes through the drive through window.”
“We are not a destination for folks—they want speed and convenience and we want to get them through as quickly as possible. Braunberger quips with this motto: ‘Amazing people, amazing drinks, amazingly fast!”
The story of Scooter’s Coffee franchise goes all the way back over 20 years ago when Don and Linda Eckles founded the company back in Bellevue, Nebraska in 1998. It began as a family owned business, for them, and continues to be today with Don’s daughters, sons and in-laws helping out with the business. Their older daughter, Shandra, has opened up 3 stores.
Don’s son-in-law is the master bean roaster who works directly with the farmers, primarily in Central and South America. He then brings the beans to their facility in Omaha, NB. Within seven days of the beans being roasted they are shipped out to the various Scooters locations, including the two Utah sites.
Speaking emphatically about the core of his business, Braunberger says, “Coffee is so commoditized. It drives down the compensation the farmers get so we negate that commoditization and we purchase directly from the farmers above market value.”
Braunberger had the opportunity to go to Costa Rica last summer and was able to see, first hand, how their beans are grown. They are all hand-picked, and from the time the bean is a seedling in the ground to cultivating the plant and finally, harvesting—it is truly a labor of love. Scooter’s Coffee sources the top 10 beans in the world.
Relationships with the farmers, the founders Don and Linda Eckles, and the many customers are important to this family-owned business.
Braunberger has two of his adult children working for him. Occasionally, his younger kids, ages 13 and 7, like to come out and help their Dad with the business. Braunberger’s son, Miles, is the general manager of the Pleasant View Scooter’s Coffee. “My kids and my wife are all involved in it together. It’s family oriented.”
There are specific recipes and processes to follow. “If you come in and get a turtle steamer today and Miles is working—you want to make sure your drink tastes the same today as it did yesterday,” Braunberger says. “We are specialty coffee and use the best ingredients, value and consistency.”
As the weather warms up and people are getting out and about more in Utah, Scooters plans to hire 3-4 more staff members in addition to their 12 employees. All are part-time workers.
In the coming years Braunberger would like to expand his local business, but he wants to be smart about it and says, “As long as we continue to enjoy it and it brings value to not only us but the community as well.”
