Crave the coffee

If anyone has driven down Brady Street in the morning, the long line coming out of Atomic Coffee Bar and into the street would definitely catch their attention. The coffee shop has quickly taken the title as the most popular coffee shop in Davenport. Soon, it will be coming to Bettendorf. The plans place the new Atomic on Ridge Point Road, a location a mere two blocks from Pleasant Valley High School. While some people are excited about the new location, others are worried about how it will affect the traffic in the area.

Unsurprisingly, many devoted Atomic drinkers are excited about the new location in Bettendorf. Instead of making the long drive to downtown Davenport, the coffee bar will be located in the heart of Bettendorf. Senior Grace Budde goes to Atomic around five times per week. She said, “The new location will make the drive a lot shorter for me. This will make me want to go more often because I won’t have to waste as much money on gas.” The short drive isn’t the only benefit. The new business can provide additional jobs for students from around the area. Senior Sydney Foley, who is currently employed at Atomic, said, “Working at Atomic has provided me with a great opportunity to get to know the people of our community. I am extremely excited to bring Atomic to Bettendorf and be able to start connecting with people from my city as well.”

But, the new plan has its downfall. With the new location being so close to the high school, many fear that potential chaos is looming. Budde said, “It will make the roadway too busy in the morning with every kid coming to school and all the people trying to get in and out of the Atomic parking lot.” The traffic on Belmont is already backed up in the morning due to the school’s remodeling.

“I don’t know what both Atomic and the city have regarding plans for parking lot design or traffic flow,” Associate Principal Darren Erickson commented. “Belmont is a busy road with both Pleasant Valley and Scott Community College sharing it, so mornings from 7:45-8:15 are always a concern for us.”

Atomic Coffee Bar’s new location will be located at 3235 Ridge Pointe Road and plans to open right after Christmas.