Dutch Bros. Coffee is a privately held drive-through coffee chain headquartered in Grants Pass, Oregon, United States, with company-owned and franchise locations throughout the western United States. Dutch Bros. is the country's largest privately held, drive-through coffee chain, with 175 stores in 7 western U.S. states.

 

History

Founding

Dutch Bros. was founded on February 12, 1992 by thirty-eight-year-old Dane Boersma and his twenty-one-year-old brother Travis Boersma, third-generation dairy farmers in Grants Pass. They decided to buy a double-head espresso machine and experiment with a hundred pounds of coffee in their empty milk house in Grants Pass. After a month of handing out free samples of flavored coffee to friends and family, the duo began serving up mochas and lattes with the one double head espresso machine, a stereo blasting music, and a pushcart set up every morning under a 10-by-10 foot tent in downtown Grants Pass, Oregon. They named their company Dutch Brother's [sic] Coffee Company, or Dutch Bros. Over the next few years, permanent kiosks opened in other parts of the city, including a coffeehouse a few blocks from the original stand.

 

Coffee and product info

Dutch Bros. roasts all of their own coffee ensuring freshness from the farmer to the cup. Their site states, "At Dutch Bros. Coffee we roast all of our own coffee beans to ensure freshness from the farmer to the cup. We have a three bean private reserve blend that is an ancient Dutch secret. We take great pride in having individual relationships with the plantations that produce our coffee beans. At Dutch Bros. we believe in team work with an "All for One, One for All" mentality that produces a winning formula for everyone involved. The Dutch Bros. Private Reserve is our own secret blend that's been passed down." Taking great pride in the ingredients mixed into every cup, they utilize flavor profiles from Torani syrups, their own special blend of Dutch Chocolate milk and Kick Me Mix and delicios smoothie mix, and carry original name brand items such as Dutch Bros. Blue Rebel, Torani Smoothie Mix, Oregon Chai, Pacific Soy, and Guayaki Yerba Mate. 

 

The Dutch Creed

At Dutch Bros., they are all about being positive and lovin' life. The "Optimist's Creed" that the Boersma brothers adopted as their own is still an intricate part of the company, written in the employee handbook, and bits of it posted inside the stands. They strive to pass the good vibes on to our employees and customers through leadership within our company, and customer service. The Dutch Creed: "To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet. To make all your friends feel there is something in them. To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. To think only the best, to work only for the best and expect only the best. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble."

 

Charitable causes

In October 2009, co-founder Dane Boersma died of Lou Gehrig’s disease. In his honor, all locations annually donate one designated day's proceeds to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In 2010, over $110,000 was donated to MDA for research and family services funding. The company also participates annually in a "Buck for Kids Day," when part of the proceeds benefits regional nonprofit organizations. In 2011, over $93,000 was raised for this cause to further the Dutch Bros. mantra, "make a difference, one cup at a time." In addition to specific causes, over $1,000,000 annually (1% of gross sales) is reinvested into the community by each retail location. Other causes Dutch Bros. raise money for are for Breast Cancer Awareness which is for the whole month of October