Operations
Scooter’s Coffee invests in its supply chain as the company’s number of stores approaches 1,000.
Source: Scooter’s Coffee, Scannell Properties
July 22, 2026 by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media
Scooter’s Coffee is investing in its supply chain infrastructure as it charges toward its 1,000-unit milestone.
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| Nick Jarecke, Courtesy of Scooter’s Coffe |
The Omaha, Nebraska-based brand, which operates more than 900 locations nationwide, recently broke ground on a 154,400-square-foot distribution center in Papillion, Nebraska. The cold-storage facility will replace an existing warehouse the company has already outgrown and support more than 300 stores, with the goal to serve over twice that number.
“More importantly, the additional space enables us to meet increasing demand for product due to menu growth, such as new flavor options, food items and more,” Nick Jarecke, Scooter’s Coffee’s chief supply chain officer, told Fast Casual.
Building for growth
Growth requires more than opening restaurants. It also means continually evaluating the company’s distribution network.
Scooter’s has opened 26 stores so far in 2026 and expects to add approximately 70 more by year’s end. Earlier this year, the company announced its largest multi-unit development agreement to date, with Boddie-Noell Enterprises, to develop 31 locations across the Southeast.
“As our footprint changes, we continually evaluate our network to optimize each route our drivers travel to reduce mileage and reduce any unnecessary touches between DC and final delivery at each store,” Jarecke said.
The Papillion facility will serve Midwest locations and replace Scooter’s Valley Ridge distribution center in nearby La Vista, Nebraska, which opened in 2022.
“We have already outgrown the facility, which is only about 50,000 square feet, and have needed to store product at other facilities,” Jarecke said.
“This new DC will be triple the size, greatly expanding our capacity and bringing more product under the same roof.”
Once the new facility is operational, all distribution activities handled at the La Vista site will move to Papillion.
Designed for efficiency
The new distribution center will include refrigerated and frozen storage along with space for dry goods, allowing Scooter’s to manage virtually every product served in its restaurants.
“Essentially, anything you might order at a Scooter’s Coffee location is made with a product that went through one of our distribution centers,” Jarecke said.
The Papillion facility also best practices gained from Scooter’s 181,033-square-foot distribution center in Whitestown, Indiana, which opened in early 2025. Although the Nebraska facility is smaller, it will provide additional dock doors, a cold dock, expanded storage capacity and more parking for trucks and employees.
“These are all hard to come by at our current Omaha facilities as we’ve scaled our brand to more than 900 stores nationwide,” Jarecke said.
Planning ahead
Jarecke said Scooter’s regularly analyzes five-year growth projections, store development plans and sales performance to determine when additional logistics capacity will be needed.
The company also continually evaluates delivery routes and warehouse operations to improve efficiency while maintaining reliable service to franchisees.
“We will continue to expand, as needed, to ensure we have proper capacity to provide best-in-class supply chain reliability and delivery service to our franchisees,” he said.
Rather than pursuing warehouse expansion for its own sake, Scooter’s views its distribution network as a critical investment that enables sustainable restaurant growth.
“Our approach has been centered on ensuring we have the people, systems and supply chain capabilities to support our franchisees for the long term,” Jarecke said.
About Amy Sorter
Amy W. Sorter is an award-winning journalist, copywriter and content producer. Sorter has generated quality articles, blogs and thought leadership pieces for multiple industries during her many decades as a writer. Her byline has appeared in local and national publications including the American Business Journal, Connect CRE, Bankrate, CURE Magazine and the Dallas Morning News.
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