The man whose business is in chicken has branched out to coffee, and now Baldwin County residents will soon have a new quick-service drive-through to add to their morning routine.

Local franchise owner J. Hudson Sandefur will bring the Scooter's Coffee brand to Daphne early next year.

Sandefur has been in the restaurant franchise space in Baldwin County and south Mississippi for 20 years. He is the man who brought Zaxby's to Baldwin County in 2003 and owns several Chicken Salad Chicks in Mississippi.

Scooter's Coffee LLC is based in Omaha, Nebraska, and specializes in espresso drinks, fruit smoothies and pastries. The company also has a line of organic hot and iced teas, single-origin coffee and cold brew and cream.

While in Iowa for a wedding, Sandefur and his wife stopped at Scooter's. The cute little building and catchy name drew them in, but it was the product they liked most. That was a couple of years ago.

"I didn't really think anything about it, but then at some point reading franchising magazines and emails I get, I kept seeing Scooter's," Sandefur said. "It piqued my interest."

His wheels started turning after speaking with his contractor who builds his restaurants. They had already built eight Scooter's Coffee franchises in different areas. The builder gave Sandefur information, and he was compelled to check into the brand.

Scooter's Coffee, while based in the Midwest, has been pushing east and rapidly expanding. The nearest locations to Baldwin County now are in Florida: Pensacola, Pace and Gulf Breeze. The brand currently boasts 600 stores across 28 states and commitments to open more of its 664-foot drive-through kiosks.

Sandefur's franchise area includes Daphne, Atmore and Saraland in Alabama and Ocean Springs, Mississippi. He is hoping the first location will open in Daphne in the first quarter of 2024, but he said they still have a long way to go. Right now, they are working to find the perfect location for the family business.

"I'm partnering with my daughter Lanier Lindsey and son-in-law Hayden Lindsey, so this will be a family business," Sandefur said. "We plan on opening at least six locations but could expand even more given the right opportunities."

When asked if he is worried about competition in the coffee space, Sandefur seemed unfased.

"We're not worried about the competition just because we know the area can support what we're doing as well as the others that come to town," he said. "I look forward to getting involved with Scooter's and spreading their mission and their love for coffee, speed and great customer service. That lines up with everything I've done."