Tom Townsend, chief executive of Scooter's Coffeehouse, said April 15 is the target opening date for the Aksarben Place store.
"We think the area is a dynamic area and is underserved in the coffee market," Townsend said.
In July 2008, Seattle-based Starbucks Corp. announced that it would close five Omaha-area Starbucks, including the Aksarben Place store, which had just opened in November 2007. It was part of a nationwide shutdown of 600 company-owned stores. Since then, Starbucks has announced more store closings.
Townsend said a local franchisee has signed a lease for the approximately 1,700 square feet of space. The site has a drive-through and a patio that Scooter's plans to use for live performances by local musicians.
The coffeehouse will employ about 10 full- and part-time people.
It will be the 41st Scooter's in the Omaha metro area.
Scooter's also is opening a store outside Portland, Ore., at about the same time as the Aksarben Place store. With the Oregon and Aksarben Place stores, the chain will operate 80 coffeehouses in nine states -- Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Texas, Arizona, Colorado and Oregon.
Townsend said news about Starbucks often overshadows the success and growth of Scooter's.
"Just because the biggest guy on the planet is gloom and doom doesn't mean the smaller specialty coffee places are in trouble," he said.
Scooter's also opened a coffeehouse in a former Starbucks in Fremont about a month ago, he said, and that store is doing well.
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