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The Coffee Depot brings Scott together with a warm cup and a smile

Posted at 7:15 AM, Apr 05, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-05 08:31:28-04

About 9,000 people live in Scott, and there’s one spot in the center of the city that ensures this growing community stays close-knit.

It’s The Coffee Depot. And it’s one of the first places you’ll notice upon entering downtown. Locals say it’s one of the toughest places to leave.

A warm smile and a hot cup of coffee greet everyone who walks through the doors of The Coffee Depot.

And the people inside, if they aren’t already friends or family, well it won’t take long.

“We wanted a gathering spot for the community,” says owner Jeff Laughlin. “We weren’t looking to get into the restaurant business by any means but we felt like there wasn’t a place in Scott where people could gather, get a cup of coffee and if they stayed all day and talked we were happy.”

Right on the railroad in the center of downtown Scott, even before it was The Coffee Depot, this place has always seen lots of traffic.

The building then became a feed store and eventually, it went up for sale.

“When the warehouse came up we wanted to keep one of the oldest buildings in Scott going,” says Laughlin. “It was either tear it down or repair it.”

The Laughlin family, with a little help from anyone who felt inclined, redesigned and repurposed every inch of what is now The Coffee Depot. It’s a place with history beyond just the boards and beams.

“Its probably about seven and a half years ago now we started where my mom and dad and myself and another friend of mine and his mom and dad would come here on Thursday mornings and have breakfast,” says Scott Police Cheif Chad Leger “I’ve been blessed six months ago with my first grandson and so now my grandson and my son come meet my mom and I Thursday morning and we have four generations at The Coffee Depot.”

The Legers are one family with a story like many others here in Scott. Coming to the coffee depot to share the mornings with all the people they love.

“It’s not uncommon that I get here at seven o’clock to have breakfast with my family,” says Leger.  “I don’t leave until nine o’clock because I’m talking with other people.”

And as Scott grows, The Coffee Depot has a mission to keep the community as close as can be.

“Scott has been expanding and as we expand we want to get them together with the people like myself who have been here forever,” says Laughlin. “We want them to meet each other and we want them to socialize and know each other.”

So, whether you have a minute or a day, you’ll find a friend and probably a new favorite in The Coffee Depot.