After years of stopping at coffee shops as he drove across five Midwestern states selling medical devices, Tom Diamantopoulos decided it was time for a change.

Now he’s the guy making sure others have plenty of coffee to get through their days. The 37-year-old Hinsdale man and his wife, Abbie, are the proud owners of a new Scooter’s Coffee franchise in Downers Grove at 2125 Ogden Ave.

Their new business is in a standalone building with a drive-through lane and indoor seating. It’s near the southeast corner of Ogden Avenue and Belmont Road.

Sales have been steadily growing since a soft opening Nov. 14, Diamantopoulos said.

A grand opening was held Dec. 5 with the first 100 customers that day getting coupons for free coffee every day for a week.

Moving from medical devices to coffee may seem unusual, but Diamantopoulos comes from a family with food service history.

“My father and his brothers owned restaurants. The most recent one was in the Plainfield/Joliet area. They sold that and retired in 2021. I helped at the family business. However, I was in the corporate world,” he said.

Diamantopoulos’ old job had him in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri.

“I started seeing Scooter’s Coffee. I stopped in and thought, ‘This is fantastic,’ ” he said. “At the moment, I wanted to get into business for myself, so I looked into the brand. Great core values. They’re all about the people and the experience.”

That got Diamantopoulos and Abbie thinking about buying a franchise. They visited several Scooter’s in Missouri and were impressed. He scouted the west suburbs for a good location and found a vacant building in Downers Grove.

“There was a sign in the window. I met the landlord Sam Odeh, great guy, and here we are,” he said.

Being on busy Ogden Avenue has “been fantastic” for business.

“The community supports business very well and we’ve seen great support so far,” Diamantopoulos said.

Scooter’s is open from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

They open early “for coffee drinkers, commuters,” he said.

“We get a little rush in the evenings, too. It’s more than coffee. We sell other drinks and food,” said Diamantopoulos, whose favorite beverage is a latte flavored with vanilla or hazelnut.

Bagels, cinnamon rolls, cookies, burritos, smoothies and iced coffees are among menu items. Coffee beans come from Costa Rica.

“Scooter’s corporate buys directly from the farmers. No middle man,” he said.

Asked about challenges, Diamantopoulos said “visibility off the street and making sure people know we are here.”

Brand recognition also is a hurdle. Other companies such as Starbucks and Seven Brew are out there. But being a locally owned franchise makes a difference, Diamantopoulos said.

“We just offer a really great product. ... We care about our customers,” he said.

He said most of the Scooter’s Coffee locations are drive-through.

“But in the area, we’re one of the only ones that has a true cafe,” he said, nodding toward a comfy couch a la the TV show “Friends.”

If you’re a drive-through person, the entrance is off Belmont, on the west side of the gas station next door. Some customers stop in for a cup after they fill their gas tank, he said.

One of the 22 employees, barista Catherine Galvez, 24, of Bolingbrook, is “so happy to be here.”

“I really enjoy the environment of working at Scooter’s. Very uplifting. It’s getting busier,” she said. “Tom is awesome, very positive and passionate about his job and the business.”

Louie Kontzias, 46, of Glenview, stopped in for black drip coffee with one sugar about 11 a.m. Dec. 4.

“I need a little pep. It’s been a long morning,” he said.

He called Scooter’s “a great alternative to what else is out there.”

“Something new. It’s got a very extensive menu. There’s a lot to choose from all throughout the day. It’s not just coffee in the morning,” Kontzias said.

Scooter’s started in 1998 and now has more than 850 locations in 30 states with 15 in the Chicago area.

College football fans may be familiar with the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl that will be played Dec. 23 in Frisco, Texas.

Don and Linda Eckles founded the company as Scooter’s Java Express in Bellevue, Nebraska. Their daughter’s nickname is Scooter, Diamantopoulos said.

Diamantopoulos and his wife have three daughters: Demi, 5, Adriana, 3, and Georgia, 1. Georgia is named for his father, George. Asked about Christmas morning with three young daughters, Diamantopoulos smiled and said, “I love that kind of crazy.”

In the meantime, he’s spending most of his days at Scooter’s. No, he does not miss those long days driving for his former job.

“This is the kind of job you want to come to work. It’s fun. It’s positive. You’re giving off good vibes. When people are having a rough morning, that hot cup of coffee can turn around their day,” Diamantopoulos said.