Central City is about to become a little brighter—and certainly more caffeinated—as Scooters Coffee opens its doors this Friday. Located on Highway 30 near Dairy Queen, the new drive-thru coffee kiosk will offer a convenient spot for locals to grab their favorite specialty coffee drinks, breakfast items, and more.

The opening marks the Vettel family’s second Scooters location in the area, with their first franchise thriving just 17 miles south in Aurora. After three years of honing their business model and building a loyal customer base in Aurora, the Vettels are ready to bring their brand to a new community.

For Todd, Tim, and Trevor Vettel, expanding to Central City is a calculated move based on experience and careful planning. “We’ve got three years of learning, adapting, sharpening, and getting an edge in Aurora, so when we go to Central City, we’ll really have a learning curve that’s been flattened,” said Todd Vettel.

The Vettels see Central City as a natural fit for their next venture. “When we compared Aurora to Central City, they are similar in many ways, so essentially what we’re doing here is taking the proven track record, the Scooters concept, to another similar city within our area of location,” Todd explained.

It wasn’t just a gut feeling that led them to this decision—extensive traffic studies confirmed the potential for success in Central City. After a two-year process, the family settled on a prime location on Highway 30. While traffic volume is slightly lower than in Aurora, Todd remains optimistic. “Now we’ve got three different metrics that are all pointing towards, hopefully, a gem,” he said.

Construction of the stand-alone kiosk has been completed, and the staff is gearing up for opening day. The Vettels are relying on the “sister store” concept, which allows for shared resources, training, and support between their Aurora and Central City locations.

“Between the two stores, we have 60 baristas and we’re now conducting barista training,” Todd shared. Experienced baristas from Aurora will help ensure a

The Vettel family is dedicated to becoming an integral part of the Central City community. “We’re going to plan to make ourselves excellent neighbors in the city, doing all the gift days, supporting and giving back, finding the best baristas we can, and giving them great jobs,” said Todd.

Scooters Coffee, founded in Bellevue in 1998, has grown to over 850 locations nationwide, including 125 in Nebraska. Known for its specialty coffee drinks, Scooters also offers smoothies, breakfast burritos, protein shakes, and baked goods, making it a versatile choice for on-the-go customers.

“Scooters isn’t just a coffee place; it’s more than that,” Todd said during the Aurora opening in 2021. “We think it’s kind of like the Starbucks of the Midwest, and we think it’s going to be good for local consumers.”

The new Central City location will mirror Aurora’s hours of operation, opening at 5:30 a.m. on weekdays and 6 a.m. on weekends, making it a convenient option for early risers and weekend adventurers alike.

The Vettel family understands that building a loyal customer base takes time. “I suspect we’ll really have to dig in and introduce ourselves that first year,” Todd noted. “Even though everybody will see the store, that doesn’t mean everybody’s going to come through and try us. That’s what we saw in Aurora, too. It took a good year of getting everybody in there to try us out, and after that, we started seeing some successes in our daily and monthly volume.”

For Central City, the opening of Scooters Coffee is more than just the addition of a new business— it’s a sign of growth and opportunity. It’s a place where residents can gather, recharge, and enjoy a bit of modern convenience in the heart of a small-town community.

As the doors open this Friday, the Vettels are ready to welcome Central City with a smile and a cup of something special. Whether it’s your first visit or your fiftieth, one thing is certain—Scooters Coffee is here to stay.