Scooter’s Coffee, a new drive-thru coffee shop in Graham, held its grand opening Sept. 25, less than two weeks after its soft opening. The grand opening welcomed community members, a DJ and the Scooter’s mascot.
Griffin Kennedy, one of the owners of the Scooter’s Graham location, said Graham is ideal for a new business because the size allows them to connect with the local community.
“We want to be involved in fundraisers for schools. We want to do stuff downtown, and I think it can potentially be more impactful for the community in a spot like Graham than potentially a larger market,” Kennedy said.
Scooter’s is a national coffee shop chain. The Graham location is owned by Griffin and Hallie Kennedy. As the owners of North Carolina-based Scooter’s locations, Griffin and Hallie have committed to opening six locations within 30-45 minutes of each other. He said they are in the process of finalizing the paperwork to open a shop in Burlington.
In the first two weeks of opening, Griffin said he’s been pleased with the amount of traffic they’ve seen come through.
“I’ve been just extraordinarily overwhelmed and surprised with how wonderful and nice all the customers are,” Griffin said. “Everybody’s having a good time.”
Graham Mayor Chelsea Dickey attended the grand opening, along with several members of the Alamance County Area Chamber of Commerce. Dickey said new businesses coming to the area reflect positively on the town.
“We’re just excited that people are investing and bringing jobs and bringing great vibes,” Dickey said. “Griffin and Hallie are great people, and we’re excited to have them.”
Cars surrounded the Graham shop in the drive-thru during the grand opening. Dickey said it has been this busy since its first day.
“It’s not just a morning drink,” Dickey said. “People are always going to be here, and I’ve been driving through ever since they did their soft opening. There’s been a line around the building, so people are really excited.”
Scooter’s is not only offering new coffee options but also bringing jobs. Currently, the shop employs almost 40 workers.
Alamance County Area Chamber of Commerce President Reagan Gural said new businesses opening can also help other local businesses.
“We’re growing all the time, and some people will tell you that you really can’t have enough coffee or restaurants because the competition actually helps each other,” Gural said.
Scooter’s Coffee is open seven days a week, from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the weekends.