Drive-up coffee shop plan gets warm reception in North Aurora
North Aurora officials told a Batavia man they like the idea of having a drive-up coffee shop where a gasoline station was once located.
Trustees heard a proposal Monday night for a Moka franchise, at 24 S. Lincolnway (Route 31),
Scott Miller of Batavia said he has long dreamed of having a coffee business.
"This location would be ideal for what I am looking to do," he said.
The village bought the site for $200,000 in February 2016, and razed the abandoned gas station that was on it.
Moka is a six-store chain based in Wisconsin. Some of them have seating, but Miller said he prefers to do drive-up-only first, to save on overhead costs. He envisions a 678-square-foot building, with a patio and room for expansion.
He said at the other Moka locations that do have indoor seating, 95 percent of the business still comes through the drive-up lane.
Besides buying the land from the village, Miller will also have to obtain a special-use permit for the drive-up aspect. The preliminary plan calls for right-in and right-out accesses on Lincolnway, and another access off John Street.
Previously, there had been interest in building a Dunkin' Donuts on the site. And the owner of a Shell gas station/Dunkin' Donuts in Batavia had inquired about building another gasoline station/Dunkin'Donuts combo on the land, but trustees said they don't want another gasoline station in the downtown.