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Scooter’s Coffee Builds Nebraska Cold Storage Distribution Center for Regional Growth

Source: Scooter’s Coffee / ARCO National Construction

Scooter’s Coffee’s New Cold Storage Distribution Center Strengthens Regional Foodservice Cold Chain Capacity

What Happened

ARCO National Construction has broken ground on a new cold storage distribution facility in Papillion, Nebraska, in partnership with Scooter’s Coffee and Scannell Properties.

The project is designed to support Scooter’s Coffee’s continued expansion and improve the company’s ability to serve stores across surrounding regions. The new cold storage distribution center will total 154,400 square feet, including 93,520 square feet of warehouse space and 8,000 square feet of office space.

The facility will include a 43,200-square-foot freezer reaching -10°F, a 9,720-square-foot 36°F cold dock and refrigeration system, 20 loading dock positions, one drive-in ramp, 20 battery chargers and 3,000 amps of electrical service.

Scooter’s Coffee said the new facility will strengthen its cold storage and distribution capabilities, support franchisees, maintain product quality and improve the speed and consistency expected by customers.

How It Works

A cold storage distribution center for a foodservice chain is different from a general warehouse. It must protect product integrity while supporting fast replenishment to stores.

In this case, the facility combines frozen storage, refrigerated dock operations and outbound distribution capacity in one centralized hub. The -10°F freezer will support products requiring frozen storage, while the 36°F cold dock will help manage refrigerated product movement during receiving, staging and loading.

The cold dock is especially important. Many cold chain failures occur not during long-term storage, but during short transfer periods when products move between truck, dock, staging area and warehouse. A temperature-controlled dock reduces warm-air exposure, improves loading discipline and helps maintain product condition during handoffs.

The facility is also designed for scalability. Scooter’s Coffee described it as the third distribution center of this type in the greater Omaha area and the second largest facility in its supply chain network. The centralized distribution model is intended to reduce transportation time, streamline inventory management and support consistent cold-chain logistics from a strategic U.S. hub.

The 20 loading dock positions and dedicated electrical capacity also indicate that the site is designed for active daily movement rather than static storage. For a growing franchise network, this matters because replenishment frequency, delivery timing and product availability directly affect store operations.

Why It Matters

Foodservice cold chains are becoming more infrastructure-intensive as brands expand nationally and increase menu complexity.

A drive-thru beverage and foodservice brand may need to manage frozen ingredients, dairy products, prepared components, packaging materials and temperature-sensitive consumables across a large store network. As store count grows, relying only on fragmented regional storage can create inconsistent service levels and higher transportation cost.

A dedicated cold storage distribution center can improve supply chain control. It gives the brand a stronger platform for inventory planning, frozen and chilled storage, product rotation, outbound scheduling and franchise support.

The project also shows how cold chain infrastructure is becoming part of brand consistency. For restaurant and beverage chains, product quality is not only created at the store. It depends on upstream storage temperature, distribution timing, packaging integrity and delivery reliability.

If frozen or chilled products arrive late, partially thawed, improperly staged or inconsistently stocked, the customer experience can suffer even if the retail store executes well. Cold-chain logistics therefore becomes part of the operating model, not just a back-end function.

The facility’s location in Nebraska is also relevant. A Midwest distribution node can support regional coverage while reducing dependence on longer-haul movements from more distant warehouses. Shorter transport lanes can improve delivery reliability, reduce fuel exposure and create better control over frozen and chilled products.

B2B Impact

For foodservice brands and franchise operators, this project reinforces the need to match cold chain infrastructure with store growth.

A growing chain cannot scale only by opening more stores. It must also scale frozen storage, refrigerated dock capacity, route planning, inventory visibility and product quality controls. Distribution infrastructure becomes a constraint if it is not expanded before store demand rises.

For cold storage developers and contractors, the Scooter’s Coffee project shows continued demand for specialized food and beverage facilities. Relevant capabilities include freezer design, insulated envelopes, refrigeration systems, cold docks, dock seals, floor design, battery charging areas, fire protection, drainage, food-safe construction materials and scalable power supply.

For refrigeration and equipment suppliers, this type of facility creates demand for systems that can balance low-temperature performance with energy efficiency. The operating cost of a -10°F freezer is strongly affected by insulation quality, compressor efficiency, door discipline, airflow management and defrost strategy.

For transport providers, the facility may increase regional demand for refrigerated and frozen distribution capacity. Carriers serving this network will need clean, pre-cooled equipment, disciplined loading procedures, route-level temperature awareness and reliable appointment execution.

For packaging suppliers, foodservice cold chains create opportunities for secondary packaging that supports frozen and chilled transfer. Insulated totes, carton liners, freezer-compatible packaging, pallet covers and temperature indicators can help reduce exposure during store delivery and mixed-load handling.

For franchise systems, the larger lesson is that cold chain capacity must be designed around operational consistency. The goal is not simply to store products cold. It is to ensure that every store receives the right product, at the right temperature, in the right condition, on the right schedule.

Scooter’s Coffee’s Papillion facility reflects that direction: cold storage is becoming a strategic growth platform for foodservice brands, not just a warehouse function.