No need for caffeine withdrawal these days in Bowling Green.

Just weeks after Arkansas-based 7 Brew Coffee opened its drive-thru location at 2962 Scottsville Road, another national chain is bringing an on-the-go coffee shop to another prime location.

Nebraska-based Scooter’s Coffee broke ground on Monday for a drive-thru shop at the corner of Broadway Avenue and the U.S. 31-W Bypass, and the local franchisee has plans for a Glasgow store and a second Bowling Green site.

The 700-square-foot store on property that had long been home to Basham’s Auto Sales & Service will put Scooter’s and local franchisee Jon Muse of Somerset in a high-traffic area and in the thick of Bowling Green’s growing list of coffee sellers.

“We kinda knew that has been a sought-after site for a while,” said Muse. “We signed on to a multi-store agreement and plan to develop at least two of these in Bowling Green. I believe there’s room for more in the future.”

Muse and Scooter’s are also targeting a broader southcentral Kentucky area, with plans to open a location on busy Roger Wells Boulevard in Glasgow.

As for the second Bowling Green location, Muse said: “We have a site in mind, but it’s not under contract yet. We feel like it’s going to be in a high-traffic area as well.”

Scooter’s is joining a crowded field in the city’s coffee environment.

Homegrown Spencer’s Coffee has expanded from its downtown location and opened stores on the U.S. 31-W Bypass and on the Western Kentucky University campus.

Despite closing its downtown store, Starbucks still has six locations in town. Newcomers like 7 Brew, Just Love Coffee and The Good Stuff Coffee have joined a mix that includes Providence Coffee House, Q Coffee Emporium and others.

That growth mirrors national trends. According to the coffeeaffection.com website, the U.S. has seen a 2.4% growth in the number of coffee shops each year for the past five years.

As of 2022, there are 65,410 coffee shops in the United States.

Scooter’s is aiming to cash in on that growth. Founded in 1998, the company now has more than 600 locations.

“By the end of 2023, I think we’ll be close to 1,000 locations,” Muse said.

Muse said Scooter’s already has locations in Louisville, Nicholasville and Winchester and plans to enter the Elizabethtown market soon.

Although coffee is its mainstay, Scooter’s also offers smoothies, iced drinks, energy drinks and a food menu that includes breakfast burritos, muffins, cinnamon rolls and other breakfast items.

Muse expects the first Bowling Green Scooter’s, being built for $650,000 by Bowling Green’s Builders by Design, to go up quickly.

“We’re targeting late August or early September for an opening,” he said. “We’ll employ a maximum of about 30 people, with probably 20 of them being part-time.”

Muse said the coffee shop will be open daily from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.