A specialty coffee chain with more than 900 locations nationwide is bringing its first Lexington shop to the area near Harbor Freight Tools, with plans to open the drive-thru by the end of 2026. The project calls for demolishing an existing bank building to make way for a 664-square-foot, single-story coffee shop, according to permit records filed with the city.
The shop's planned address is listed as 44 Mocksville Road, according to The Dispatch, though early permit documents filed with the city listed the site at 60 W. U.S. Highway 64. Site plans for the project include parking, landscaping, lighting, signage, menu boards and utility improvements, the paper reports.
Construction schedules could still affect the expected opening timeline, Scooter's Coffee officials said, per the same report. The Lexington store will be independently owned and operated by a franchisee, consistent with how the chain runs nearly all of its locations nationwide.
A Nebraska Chain With Carolina Momentum
Scooter's Coffee was founded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles in Bellevue, Nebraska, and the company is based in that state. It now operates more than 900 shops across 32 states, according to Scooter's Coffee, a figure the company reiterated in an April announcement about its Southeast expansion. The chain added 83 stores in 2025, a 10% increase, following a 16% jump in 2024, the company said in a separate post about its national growth.
Brandon Bartling, senior manager of communications for Scooter's Coffee, said nearly all of the chain's locations are owned and operated by franchise owners, many of whom live and work in the communities they serve, according to The Dispatch. Bartling declined to provide specific employment projections for the Lexington store, telling the paper that hiring details would be handled by the franchise owner once the project moves forward.
Earlier this year, Scooter's Coffee announced a development agreement with Boddie-Noell Enterprises to bring 31 new shops to North Carolina and Virginia. At the time, the company said it had 14 locally owned and operated locations in North Carolina, and that the planned Virginia sites would be among its first in that state.
Growth Follows Retail Along the U.S. 64 Corridor
The Lexington project fits a broader pattern of commercial development expanding along the city's U.S. 64 corridor, following growth around the neighborhood Walmart area, per the Dispatch report. Davidson County's first Walmart fuel station is also expected to open soon on an outparcel adjacent to the future coffee shop site.
The corridor's growth comes as North Carolina transportation planners pursue a separate, larger project nearby: widening U.S. 64 from east of I-85 in Lexington to the Asheboro Bypass in Davidson and Randolph counties, according to Davidson Local. That outlet reported that two segments of the widening, from east of Lexington to N.C. 109 and from N.C. 109 to Lake Park Road, were unfunded at the time of reporting.
What's On The Menu
Bartling said the chain's menu, speed of service and guest experience are what set it apart, per The Dispatch. Scooter's Coffee describes its offerings as including espresso drinks, flavored coffees, blended beverages, Red Bull infusions, lemonades, smoothies, sparkling drinks, shakes and breakfast items, along with sweet and savory food for customers on the go. The company bills itself as one of the nation's fastest-growing specialty coffee chains and one of its largest drive-thru coffee franchises, known for specialty coffee drinks, teas and quick breakfast offerings.
The Lexington opening would follow a similar rollout in Graham, where a Scooter's Coffee opened at 1103 Rogers Road, according to The Times-News. That location is owned and operated by Griffin and Hallie Kennedy, the outlet reported, illustrating the franchise model the company plans to replicate in Lexington once construction wraps up.
