LEBANON — Regional beverage chain Aroma Joe’s opened a drive-thru location on the corner of Old Etna Road and Route 120 earlier this week.
News of the chain’s arrival has created a buzz at Lebanon High School, said LHS junior Claire Kelly, who stopped by the drive-thru with classmate Anna Turgeon during their lunch break on Tuesday.
“I tried (Aroma Joe’s) in Plymouth and have been obsessed with it since,” said Kelly, who is a fan of the chain’s energy drinks and soft pretzels.
The 900-square-foot drive-thru is just a three-minute drive from the high school, making it a convenient spot to grab a drink during lunch or after school.
High school students from Hanover and Lebanon also account for about half of the franchise’s 19 employees.
On Tuesday, Kelly went for a passion fruit, mango and lime-flavored energy drink, while Turgeon, an Aroma Joe’s first-timer, tried one with blueberry, lavender and lemon flavors.
“It almost takes like grape, but not medicine-y,” Turgeon said of her beverage.
As Turgeon and Kelly rolled out of the parking lot, Jacinta O’Connell waited in line for her Beach Bum energy drink, which contains notes of coconut, peach and pineapple.
O’Connell, who lives in Enfield, was on her way to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, where she works as a nurse.
She normally goes to Starbucks for coffee, so getting an energy drink at Aroma Joe’s felt like a treat, she said.
In addition to its energy drinks, Aroma Joe’s also offers a menu of espresso and coffee-based beverages, pastries and breakfast sandwiches. Its hours are 5:15 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and 5:45 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
While Aroma Joe’s got its start in East Rochester, N.H., the company is now headquartered in Scarborough, Maine.
The new location, which is a drive-thru only, is among the more than 130 Aroma Joe’s that have cropped up across New England, Pennsylvania, New York and Florida since the company’s founding 25 years ago. Nearby locations include Newport and Plymouth, N.H.
The Lebanon franchise is operated by Glenn and Tammy Amnott, of Pittsfield, N.H., and their son Gabriel Amnott, who recently moved to the city to oversee the new location. The Amnotts also own a second Aroma Joe’s in Loudon, N.H.
The corridor between Lebanon and Hanover has become a popular area for drive-thrus that specialize in caffeinated beverages.
Last July, a Starbucks drive-thru opened about 2 miles from Aroma Joe’s in the Centerra Marketplace off of Route 120.
Gabriel Amnott noted that the presence of the medical center and schools contributes to the area’s “high car count,” which makes it an advantageous spot for drive-thrus.
Last year, the Route 120 corridor near Exit 18 in Lebanon saw about 24,000 cars on average each day, according to the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.