Executive Spotlight: Don Eckles, Co-Founder of Scooter's Coffee (2027)
Don Eckles is a co-founder and the chairman of Scooter's Coffee, LLC, the Omaha, Nebraska-based drive-thru coffee chain. Scooter's says it was founded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles, who opened their first drive-thru coffeehouse in Bellevue, Nebraska. In 2022 the Greater Omaha Chamber named both founders to its Omaha Business Hall of Fame.
This page covers public professional information only, drawn from the company, the Omaha Daily Record and trade press.
Current role and company
As of the company's November 2023 CEO announcement, Eckles was Co-Founder and Chairman of Scooter's Coffee, LLC. The same announcement said Joe Thornton would become CEO, succeeding Todd Graeve, who had led the company as CEO since April 2016. Scooter's roasts its own coffee and, through the sister company Harvest Roasting, bakes the goods sold in its stores.
- CompanyScooter's Coffee, LLC, a drive-thru coffeehouse chain headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.
- TitleCo-Founder and Chairman (per the company's November 2023 announcement).
- Co-founderLinda Eckles, listed alongside him as a founder of Scooter's Coffee and Harvest Roasting.
- Brand promise"Amazing People, Amazing Drinks... Amazingly Fast!" (company).
Career path
- 1991. The Omaha Daily Record says Don and Linda Eckles have been in the coffee business since 1991.
- Early life and study. The same profile says he grew up in Omaha, graduated from Westside High School and studied broadcasting at Brown Institute in Minneapolis.
- 1998. The two introduced quick-service drive-thru coffee in Bellevue, Nebraska. Scooter's says the first location was called Scooter's Java Express.
- 2000. They started Harvest Roasting, which roasts the coffee and bakes the goods sold in Scooter's stores, per the Daily Record.
- 2022. The Greater Omaha Chamber included Don and Linda Eckles in its 2022 Business Hall of Fame class, which is featured in a permanent exhibit at The Durham Museum.
- 2023. The company announced a planned handover from CEO Todd Graeve to Joe Thornton, with Eckles remaining chairman.
What he is known for
- Bringing drive-thru coffee to Bellevue. The Eckleses' model, as the Daily Record describes it, was to find a great location and stay committed to quality drinks, fast service and a big smile.
- The smiley-face cup stickers. Scooter's says Linda Eckles began putting happy face stickers on every drink she sold in 1998, a touch that became part of the brand.
- Building a franchise chain. Trade press reported the chain was nearing 750 stores in 30 states in late 2023, up from nearly 600 stores in 27 states cited in 2022.
- Mentoring a North Omaha franchise partner. A March 2018 franchising release described Eckles mentoring Julian Young, who planned to open a Scooter's at North 30th Street and Ames Avenue in Omaha.
Leadership style and philosophy
Eckles' published remarks are mostly in company announcements. In the 2018 release he described the North Omaha store as "a stimulus to create community empowerment and job training in an underserved market." On the 2023 CEO change he said Thornton was the right leader for the company's "next acceleration of growth," and credited outgoing CEO Graeve with protecting the company's core values as it grew. This page does not claim a wider philosophy than these remarks.
Key numbers
Company-reported or press-reported figures, each with its period.
- 1998Founding year of Scooter's Coffee in Bellevue, Nebraska (company).
- August 2022Nearly 600 stores in 27 states (Omaha Daily Record profile of the Hall of Fame class).
- November 2023Nearing 750 stores in 30 states, with a plan for more than 1,000 open by the end of 2024 (company announcement as reported by trade press).
- 2023The company marked 25 years in business (FER, November 2023).
Questions people ask
Who is Don Eckles?
He is co-founder and chairman of Scooter's Coffee, the Omaha-based drive-thru coffee chain founded in 1998 in Bellevue, Nebraska.
When and where did Scooter's Coffee start?
Scooter's says Don and Linda Eckles opened its first drive-thru coffeehouse in Bellevue, Nebraska, in 1998.
Who is the CEO of Scooter's Coffee?
In November 2023 the company announced Joe Thornton would succeed Todd Graeve as CEO. Eckles stayed on as chairman.
What is Harvest Roasting?
It is the company the Eckleses started in 2000 to roast Scooter's coffee and bake the goods sold in its stores, per the Omaha Daily Record.
Has Don Eckles received any honors?
Yes. He and Linda Eckles were part of the Greater Omaha Chamber's 2022 Business Hall of Fame class.
How many Scooter's Coffee stores are there?
Counts depend on the date: nearly 600 in August 2022 and nearing 750 in November 2023, according to the sources cited here. Check the company for a current figure.
Sources
- Omaha Daily Record: 2022 Business Hall of Fame Inductees (Aug 16, 2022) · Career background, Harvest Roasting, store count, honor; hero photo whose alt text reads "Don Eckles, Founder of Scooter's Coffee, Harvest Roasting"
- Scooter's Coffee: About · Founding story, Scooter's Java Express, cup stickers, brand promise
- FER: Growing Coffee Chain Announces CEO Transition (Nov 3, 2023) · CEO change, Eckles quotes, store counts and plans
- Retail & Restaurant Facility Business: Scooter's Coffee Names Next CEO · Corroborates the announcement and the 750 stores in 30 states
- Franchising.com: Scooter's Coffee Co-Founder Takes Unique Mentorship with Franchise Partner (Mar 14, 2018) · North Omaha mentorship and quote
Facts were read from the linked pages on November 1, 2026. Store counts and titles are as of the dates shown and may have changed. The hero photo is the Omaha Daily Record image of Eckles alone; its alt text on that page names him, and it is shown on a blurred background to fit the page format. This page covers public professional information only.
Top photo: Omaha Daily Record (2022 Business Hall of Fame inductees)