Drive-thru coffee kiosk coming to former State Street Station site in Rockford

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A kiosk-style drive-thru coffee chain is coming to the former State Street Station site in the city’s Miracle Mile.

Scooter’s Coffee, a Nebraska-based chain that aims for quality drinks and speedy service, is under construction at 3515 E. State St. A roughly 18-foot, by 27-foot building that’s designed solely for drive-thru service is planned for the site, according to Nelson Sjostrom, the city’s construction and development services manager.

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The franchise is being brought here by a trio of Freeport area business partners, according to business records with the Illinois Secretary of State. The property is owned by Becklane Java, an LLC managed by Jeff Becker and Beth and Sean Lane. They hope to open by spring.

“The quality of coffee is spectacular. They take it very seriously,” Sean Lane said Wednesday in a phone interview. “The other thing I like about it that I can’t stand at the other coffee places is wait time. They pride themselves on quick service.”

Scooter’s Coffee features a multitude of hot and iced coffees, signature drinks such as the Mr. Mint Mocha Blender, a variety of teas, smoothies, breakfast items including a maple waffle sandwich, and desserts such as cake bites. It also has a Dollar Delights menu with brewed or iced coffee and mini donuts.

Scooter’s was founded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles, who opened their first drive-thru in Bellevue, Nebraska. There are now more than 800 locations across the country.

The property where Scooter’s is building was previously home for decades to State Street Station, which featured bikini-clad exotic dancers and was recognized for its glowing neon sign above State Street.

The business had opened in November 1978 as a neighborhood bar, and it went through several adaptations over the years, including time as a discotech and a karaoke bar. State Street Station closed in 2016, initially with a goal to reopen as a gaming parlor without exotic dancers. However, the longtime owners backed away from that plan by early 2017.

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The property was purchased in 2019 by Via Sofia’s Italian Kitchen, an Iowa-based chain of restaurants. State Street Station was razed by early 2020, but the new restaurant was never built on the site.

A Via Sofia’s restaurant, however, did operate for about a year at 109 N. Showplace Drive before closing in April 2023.

Becklane Java, the group bringing Scooter’s here, purchased the property for $195,000 from Via Sofia’s about a month ago, according to records from the Winnebago County Clerk & Recorder’s Office.

This will be the first of several Scooter’s Coffee shops coming to the area. Lane said their goal is to open five to nine total locations in the region.

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas