Scooter’s Coffee drops plans to build restaurant in Oswego

Scooter’s Coffee has dropped its plans to build a restaurant near the intersection of Route 71 and Washington Street in Oswego.

“Unfortunately, the Scooter’s Coffee project is no longer moving forward,” Oswego Economic Development Director Kevin Leighty told members of the village’s Economic Development Commission on April 3. “They had some issues with their construction costs and financing as it relates to new construction. Even though it was a 600-square-foot building, the market right now is pretty tough for new construction.”

However, a coffee shop may still be built on the property.

“There actually already is interest in that corner from another coffee user, actually two coffee users who are looking at that space and who we are working with right now,” Leighty said.

Scooter’s Coffee had been proposing to build a restaurant near the intersection of Route 71 and Washington Street in Oswego, partly on land the village had acquired from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The Oswego Village Board last June approved selling the 0.241-acre parcel to Field to Beans LLC for $35,000, the same amount the village paid IDOT for the property. The property is located just east of the intersection of Route 71 and Washington Street.

Trustees approved acquiring the property at their June 13, 2023, board meeting. Scooter’s Coffee is a drive-thru coffee shop offering specialty coffee, breakfast sandwiches, snacks and smoothies.

Scooter’s Coffee has been opening restaurants in the area in the last few years. A Scooter’s Coffee restaurant opened last year at the southeast intersection of routes 47 and 126 in Yorkville and Scooter’s Coffee opened restaurants in Sandwich and Plano in 2022.