Couple Scoops up Burgeoning Scooter Business (First Person)

Leonard Zechiedrich
Co-owner, Vespa of the Ozarks
Rogers

“I’m from Van Buren and I’ve taught in the Rogers School District for 10 years. My wife Melody is a Rogers native, and she’s a teacher too.

“We’ve both ridden motorcycles for a while, and I’ve been into Vespas and other scooters for about 20 years.

“We opened Vespa of the Ozarks in October. The idea came to us after a trip up to Oregon and California. There were all these people riding scooters everywhere, and we thought, ‘Why isn’t there something like this back home?’

“At first, we thought we’d start slow and order about 15 scooters to sell over the first year. As of May, we’ve sold more than 40. So we’ve adjusted our business plan a bit.

“New scooters we sell start at about $2,100 for a 50cc Vespa model. The top-of-the-line model — the Piaggio MP3 500 — is about $10,000. It’s a three-wheeled model with a 40-horesepower engine and a top speed of about 90 mph.

“Our fastest model goes 120 mph. These aren’t your stereotypical buzzing around, holding-up-traffic type of scooters.

“With gas prices soaring, we’ve seen more interest in scooters. Depending on different factors, like engine size and the person riding it, the scooters get 55 mpg to 75 mpg, on average.

“We are a family-run business. Because Melody and I are both teachers, my parents help run the store, as well as my brother-in-law, Matthew. He and I are both certified Piaggio mechanics.

“The scooters come with a one-year warranty and 24-hour roadside assistance. But they’ve been made since 1946, so they’re also very well designed and don’t have many problems.

“We’re also classic Porsche enthusiasts and we organize one of the largest shows in the country every fall in Eureka Springs.

“Originally, we tried to ease into the business; it’s been way more hectic than we’d planned.

“But that’s good news.”