Customers’ first experience at Dutch Bros can be a bit overwhelming. From choosing among the three crowded drive-thru lanes to the spirited employees walking alongside the cars easing closer to the pick-up window, the chaos alone highlights the popularity of the coffee chain.
The drive-thru line has no speakerbox, so rain or shine, employees stand outside taking drink orders. The baristas, or “broistas,” as the company refers to them, are often found chatting with customers as they distribute drinks and carefully select which colored straw to give the patient patrons.
The Oregon-based coffee chain opened its new location at 3315 SW Williston Road, drawing in large crowds since its grand opening on March 24. Dutch Bros has a strong presence on the West Coast and has slowly spread to eastern states. Before Gainesville’s location opened, people had to travel over an hour to locations in Jacksonville.
Laura Ramirez stood in line for almost 30 minutes on opening day. She said she’s been to nearly 20 Dutch Bros locations across the country and has already visited the Gainesville location multiple times. The 48-year-old works at a liquidation warehouse nearby and runs the nonprofit Kiowa House Husky Rescue in Micanopy, and she’s made it a routine to stop at Dutch Bros when traveling between the locations.
“The older I get, the more caffeine I require,” Ramirez said after ordering her favorite drink, the Caramelizer, which consists of espresso, caramel and chocolate milk.
UF students are also getting their fill of the chain’s new location.
Sophia Dickenson, a 20-year-old marketing junior, and Toni Shugar, a 21-year-old business administration junior, are both from South Florida and had never been to a Dutch Bros. When they heard about the coffee chain on TikTok, they said they knew they had to experience it. Since the store’s opening, Dickenson has been back three times and Shugar two.
Learning from experience, the two started using the walk-up window to save time.
“I don’t know why you would wait in this drive-thru line when [the walk-up window] took like five minutes,” Dickenson said.
She waited in a 20 minute drive-thru line there before, which falls short in comparison to the two hours other customers waited.
The Dutch Bros drink menu is expansive, ranging from coffee to chai and shakes to sodas.
Dickenson recommended customizing the Golden Eagle, an espresso-based drink, to the customer’s desired milk and sugar ratio, while Shugar raved about the protein coffee.
The store lacks inside seating and outside tables, so drinks must be taken to go. Food options are limited to muffin tops and granola bars. Customers can get a free medium drink after signing up for rewards on the Dutch Bros app.
Dutch Bros is open Sunday to Thursday 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday to Saturday 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Contact Corey Fiske at cfiske@alligator.org. Follow him on X @coreyfiske7.
