What’s up with the Dutch?
Brothers, that is. (Or Dutch Bros., if you’re doing the casual thang, I guess…)
Why do I ask? The little coffee shack kinda near my office, nestled in the corner of a parking lot at SE Grand and Belmont now has a sign on it proclaiming that it’ll be another Dutch Bros. location “soon.”
So inquiring minds want to know - what’s their angle? (This annoying flash-heavy site spouts platitudes and positivity, but is weak on, um, actual substance.) In the midst of Starbucks shutting down, even while locally-grown coffee roasters prosper (Stumptown, Ristretto. Spella) and the artisan barista thrives (Billy Wilson breaks from Albina Press to strike out on his own) - well, what does Dutch Bros bring to the table?
Damned if I know. Anyone have a clue?
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Dutch Bros. Is a chain founded in the early 1990s that mostly sets up in small towns in the Pacific Northwest. Most of them are simple drive-thru huts, a few are sit down places. Coffee is Starbucks quality. I love their cups and overall design though. I think their big schtick is they try to get all drinks finished and delivered under a minute or 30 seconds, or something like that. Coffee is not too dark like Peets, nor too acidic like Starbucks. Still, Stumptown it ain’t. Dutch does however have a loyal customer base.
My first experience was at the Dutch Bros in Grants Pass. My sister lives in Humbolt, CA, and finding Dutch Brothers was an oasis on a long and otherwise mostly crappy coffee drive.
My experience with them is that they don’t list the specialty coffees with highfalutin names like Cafe Latte or Cafe Mocha. The are catering to the person who wants espresso, but doesn’t know the lingo and doesn’t want to feel embarrassed because they were corrected somewhere for ordering a medium instead of a grande.
In my travels through the hinterlands I’ve gotten a few cups of Dutch Bros coffee. I have disagree with Cuisine Bonne Femme, it’s a good bit better than Starbucks (at least the times I’ve had it). But sure, it’s no StumpTown, but not much is.
I’m not a huge coffee snob, but I really really like Dutch Bros - so that’s exciting - ’cause there are not drive-thu coffee shops on my way to work - and that location would be.
They also have some strange appeal with skater/snowboarder kids - they all have stickers on their boards and cars.
Since I grew up in Grants Pass (where Dutch Bros started), I feel obliged to leave a comment. Dutch Bros is the best! Their drinks are awesome, their prices kick a$$ compared to everyone else (they always have a $2 daily special), and they usually open up new locations by giving out free drinks ALL DAY. I think the workers are required to be extremely friendly and they always make conversation. It’s not a huge company and it started in Oregon - it’s been great watching them expand across the state after the first locations opened in Grants Pass. If you’re not a fan of Starbucks and other chains, Dutch Bros is a GREAT alternative. Usually people who try it out tend to love it.
Damned if I know. Anyone have a clue?
For me it’s their blended Snickers-flavored coffee that beats the pants off of a Frappuccino any day. It’s the king of bastardized, foo-foo coffee drinks that coffee snobs turn their noses up at.
that snickers drink sounds very good right now.
A Dutch Bros. just opened nearby this past week. Like missg said, they gave out drinks ALL DAY! That will get you started. I swung in the other day (my 17 yrold is a huge fan) and he got an apple smoothie and I got a kahlua kicker. Both were very good, and on top of that, it was fun! The people were super nice. It’s like I *want* to go back. Maybe it’s an Oregon thing.
The founders are brothers from Grants Pass and super nice guys. I love the idea of an Oregon company taking on Starbucks, even though I am a Stumptown gal myself. They’re really focused on culture. I always stop in at the flagship store in G.P. and they’re ridiculously friendly.
I can’t speak for their coffee, since I’m not a coffee drinker. But their hot chocolate is just heated up chocolate milk out of a carton. I don’t know how that ends up tasting in a mocha, but without coffee to cover it up I can tell you it is pretty nasty. Of course that’s a shortcut a lot of smaller coffee places take with their mochas, so they aren’t alone. I wish people loved chocolate like they love coffee! A selfish wish, I know.
DBs are popping up all over the place, especially up and down the coast, so they must be doing something right though.
I don’t actually drink much coffee but I know I can swing through and get a cold bottle of Yerba Mate’ anytime - which beats stopping at a Plaid Pantry only to find out that they don’t have any.
Hi Guys,
Nice to see Dutch Bros. as a topic. I’ve been with the company for a long time and love what I do. If it was just about a great cup of coffee (we roast our own blend) we wouldn’t be here. The culture is rooted in “giving back” and “making a difference”. We give everything away when we open a store to give new customers a chance to try anything risk free and we stive to be fast and give the customer a real, honest, experience at the window. We also require our locally owned and opporated owners to participate in “The Give Back to the Community program” where we supported local non-profits, kids programs, etc. We also support three major non-profits on a national level and local level, MDA (one of our founders has ALS), Relay For Life -American Cancer Society and Buck for Kids where each owner can support a childrens orginization locally like Boys and Girls Club or Toys for Tots or something like that. We also love to have fun, crank tunes and dig life! Check out our Dutch Creed which is our mission statement at http://www.dutchbros.com. Hope you will all keep spreading the Dutch Luv!
I heart dutch bros.
mmmmm