APRIL 23 TO APRIL 29, 2026 | JAXDAILYRECORD.COM
BUSINESS & LEGAL NEWS IN BAKER, CLAY, DUVAL, NASSAU AND ST. JOHNS COUNTIES
COFFEE KIOSKS
INSIDE
ARE GAINING GROUND
CITY GOVERNMENT
Deegan files for re-election; Rep. Duggan considers run PAGE 8
LAW AND THE COURTS
Court to hear Aaron Zahn’s appeal in June PAGE 12 Photo by Kaili Cochran
Coffee-oriented quick service restaurants like Scooter’s Coffee are proliferating in Northeast Florida due to such factors as demographic trends and relatively low building and operating costs. The Scooter’s shown here is at 13759 Beach Blvd.
Scooter’s Coffee, Dutch Bros, 7 Brew, Ellianos, Boost and similar brands are seeing growth in Northeast Florida. BY JOE LISTER STAFF WRITER
S
itting in his office in Omaha, Nebraska, Aaron Hoffman can tell you which ZIP code in Northeast Florida is most ready for a new coffee shop. As Hoffman toggles between options on the right side of his computer screen, the locations of competitors to his brand, Scooter’s Coffee, appear on the screen. Hoffman, sharing his screen on a Google Meet video call, fiddles some more, and traffic patterns, consumer
metrics and other data is displayed. Hoffman is vice president of franchise sales for Omahabased Scooter’s, one of several quick service restaurant coffee shops Hoffman popping up around Northeast Florida. QSR coffee shops rely on drive-thru traffic rather than a cafe environment and are capturing an increasing share of the market, taking larger percentages of sales from traditional competitors like
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Starbucks and Dunkin’. Brands like Scooter’s, including Dutch Bros, 7 Brew, Ellianos Coffee and Boost Coffee & Energy, are expanding across Northeast Florida, with more than two dozen locations open or planned in Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties. “Coffee is one of the most habitual categories in QSR,” Hoffman said. “We see it as part of people’s daily routine, not an occasional purchase. So once we’ve made that connection, that’s SEE COFFEE, PAGE 10
THE BASCH REPORT
J&J Vision sales rise 3.6% in first quarter Johnson & Johnson Vision produces contact lenses at its headquarters facility in Jacksonville. The business sees growth accelerating in the rest of 2026. PAGE 6
THE MATHIS REPORT
Regency Square Mall East Wing demolition The closed mall’s east wing demolition is under review for The Nexus at Regency redevelopment. PAGE 4 DEVELOPMENT
Church of Eleven22 leases Glass Factory Building owner Tyler Saldutti said plans call for audiovisual upgrades and other improvements. PAGE 14
VOLUME 113, NO. 24 | TWO SECTIONS | PUBLISHED SINCE 1912