Contributed photo by Lola Beans / The Chattanooga-based Lola Beans Coffee is opening a second store Saturday off of Paul Huff Parkway in Cleveland, TennesseeTwo years after opening their first drive-thru coffee outlet in East Brainerd, the owners of Lola Beans Coffee are opening a second and bigger location Saturday in Cleveland, Tennessee, as part of their plans to have at least a half dozen such shops around the region.
Donny Bradley, the co-owner of Lola Beans which is named after the "Lolabean" nickname for one of his daughters, said he expects the newly built Cleveland store off Paul Huff Parkway will generate even more business than the original Lola Beans store off East Brainerd Road.
To promote the new store, Bradley is giving the first 300 attendees to the Saturday morning grand opening a free T-shirt with the purchase of a large drink. The new store will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on Saturday a disc jockey will be playing music from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Bradley is a medical supply distributor who saw the popularity of drive-thru coffee and specialty drink shops eight years ago while living in Soldotna, Alaska, where seven such drive-thru shops were popular in the town of fewer than 5,000 people. The shops became places where people interacted and knew your name.
"It was more about making a connection rather than just a transaction," Bradley said by phone. "I loved the concept, and I decided I wanted to bring that quick, fun and easy coffee shop to the Chattanooga area.
"Lola Beans' purpose is to be the place we wished we worked when we were young that creates a positive experience and provides the highest quality coffee available to our customers."
The Cleveland and Chattanooga stores are the first of several planned by 2024 in the Chattanooga area and, if the concept proves successful, Bradley is eager to enlarge the brand in other markets.
"I would like to get to six locations in the next two years, and then I would like to put a plan together in terms of rolling out corporate stores," he said. "We've had a lot of good team members that have joined us, and they are capable of going out and opening up their own stores."
Bradley said the Lola Beans shops have proven popular among employees who enjoy the fun atmosphere and the customer relationships and tips.
"We had 75 applications we couldn't fill on top of the new staffing for our Cleveland store," said Bradley, who said the company already has 36 employees and continues to grow. "We believe we have expanded and hopefully perfected the concept of 'drive-through coffee.' Our desire is to create a positive, familiar, hometown feel while providing the highest quality available to our customers and friends."
Lola Beans stays true to local vendors by sourcing its coffee from Vienna Coffee House in Maryville, Tennessee. The shop offers a wide range of beverages, including lattes, milkshakes, smoothies and infused drinks. Not only is the coffee customizable, but teas, lemonades, Italian sodas and energy drinks can also be infused with over 30 flavor add-ins ranging from sea salt caramel and pumpkin spice to dragon fruit and hibiscus.
The first store opened in September 2020.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6340. Follow him on Twitter @dflessner1.