New Scooter’s Coffee Opens in Cozad (2024)

COZAD — The opening of Scooter’s Coffee in Cozad marks the second location of the coffee shop in Dawson County.

According to data from ScrapeHero, there are over 800 Scooter’s Coffee locations nationwide. About 100 of these locations are in Nebraska, the birthplace of the first Scooter’s Coffee shop.

The new coffee shop in Cozad is located at the corner of Highway 21 and Wilson Drive, just north of Interstate 80.

Nikki Wetovick, one of the co-owners of the Cozad Scooter’s location, shared insights about the journey from inspiration to realization of the new establishment.

“It’s actually very random how the idea came about. Our business partners, Colin and Juli Wetovick, went through the Lexington Scooter’s and were amazed at how fast the service was,” Wetovick said.

This experience ignited Colin’s interest in bringing a similar establishment to Cozad, leading to the exploration of various coffee chains before settling on Scooter’s.

“From the time Colin sparked the idea to the time we opened, it was about 16 months or so that had passed,” Nikki Wetovick said.

The process of bringing Scooter’s to Cozad began in earnest in May 2023 with the submission of their application to Scooter’s corporate office. She said having a preselected site facilitated their approval.

The subsequent steps included several Zoom meetings with Scooter’s corporate office to demonstrate their fit within the Scooter’s family and to discuss their vision for the new location.

“Once we were given the opportunity to sign the franchise agreement, we quickly collected bids for our construction and hit the ground running,” Wetovick said. She credited Plex Construction, a team from Seward with extensive experience in building Scooter’s kiosks, for their seamless execution of the project.

The choice of location for the new Scooter’s was strategic from the start. Initially planned for a slightly different spot on the same street, the decision to move closer to the intersection of Highway 21 and Wilson Drive came on the advice of Scooter’s corporate leadership, who provided tools to help select the prime location.

“We had to spend a little extra on dirt work, but as more businesses go up along that street, we will always have the most prime location with great accessibility and visibility,” Wetovick said.

Regarding the roles of the co-owners, Wetovick described a well-coordinated team effort. Her husband, Drew, and Colin Wetovick focused on the franchising agreements and construction processes, while Nikki and Juli handled the operational aspects.

“The men are great at supervising now, whereas Juli and I can hop on the line and help get drinks out the window if need be,” Nikki Wetovick said. All the co-owners are barista-certified, ensuring they can contribute directly to operations as necessary.

The Cozad Scooter’s currently employs around 20 baristas, in addition to the four owners and their manager, Sissy Marshall. They are actively seeking to hire more baristas to accommodate shifts in school schedules this fall.

Wetovick, who also works at Cozad Community Health Systems , shared how she managed her dual responsibilities.

“I work PRN, as needed, at CCHS. I went on about a six-week hiatus right before and during opening to help with training and getting the store up and running,” she explained, highlighting the flexibility and understanding of her colleagues at CCHS.

Opening the new coffee shop was not without its challenges. Wetovick cited accuracy in orders as a primary area of focus. “We are all still learning and continuing to try to get better every day.”

“Our community has been patient and supportive in helping us train up our staff,” Wetovick said. Feedback from customers has been crucial in improving their service, and Wetovick encourages ongoing feedback through surveys.

Reflecting on lessons learned, Wetovick explained the importance of staying involved in the business.

“Opening a new business is a labor of love. We naively thought we could sign the franchise agreement and things would somewhat take care of themselves after finding the appropriate staff,” Wetovick said.

The reality, Wetovick said, is that continuous involvement is critical to ensuring the success and sustainability of the business.

Wetovick said the Cozad community has shown particular enthusiasm for certain menu items. Wetovick mentioned that the Caramelicious, available hot, iced or blended, is their signature drink and a go-to suggestion for new customers.

The Everything Bagel Sandwich is their most popular sandwich, and their current limited-time offerings, such as the Oreo cake bites and Oreo blender, have also been well-received.

Looking ahead, Wetovick and her co-owners have several plans for community engagement and growth.

“As we get more established, we plan to have many ‘Days of Giving,’” she said. “If your organization or business ever wants to team up for one of these events, please reach out to us.”

They are also have a long-term goal of opening more Scooter’s locations.

“The most rewarding part of this journey has been the support and gratitude we’ve received from the Cozad community. Their support has meant everything to us,” Wetovick said. She also praised their staff for their dedication and enthusiasm.

“We hope we bring joy to your day when you hear one of our friendly baristas smiling through their headsets at the order screen and then again at the window,” Wetovick said, expressing appreciation to everyone who has supported their venture thus far.