After opening its first Texas location on Wellborn Road last January, an Oregon-based coffee company has slowly invaded Aggieland. Dutch Bros Coffee now boasts four locations in Bryan-College Station, with a fifth soon to begin operations.
Established in Grants Pass, Ore., in 1992, Dutch Bros’ mission is to serve delicious coffee and to make a difference through a commitment to each community they serve. The Dutch Bros culture in action is “unexpected, unprompted and unbelievable,” and together its customers and the Dutch Bros Foundation give back through donations, grants and giveback days. Regional operator Bryce Schnieder said he loves the mentorship opportunities at Dutch Bros.
“At Dutch Bros, my goal as regional operator is to foster good people and to host a safe environment where I can set them up for the rest of their lives,” Schnieder said. “Our employees set the bar high, and we make sure we get energized people who are excited to work here.”
Something that sets Dutch Bros apart from other coffee chains is that employees hand-make everything, and because Dutch Bros’ customers have extended a warm welcome to the coffee chain, Schnieder said.
“It’s the people doing it — the espresso, the milk, the flavors,” Schneider said. “We take care to perfectly handcraft every single drink. Coming to Texas … we were so welcomed by the community, and we committed to staying here.”
Geographic information sciences and technology senior Emily Gill said as a customer, her favorite aspect of the company is how it treats its employees.
“I have so many friends that work for Dutch Bros and absolutely love it,” Gill said. “They always say they’re very much valued as a worker there. All of the shift managers take a lot of interest in [them] and make sure they’re safe and happy. I feel really good about purchasing from them because I feel like they treat their workers great.”
Dutch Bros’ takeover of College Station has been evident due to the love and dedication shown by students, Gill said.
“Contrary to a whole lot of other coffee shops, some people have made such posts like their whole personality, like that’s what they do,” Gill said. “Plus, for college students, we all drink a ton of coffee. I think that Dutch Bros is probably the best-tasting coffee around, way better than Starbucks. I think they’ve made a great difference [in College Station] and brought the community together to try something new.”
Communication senior Emma Ferguson said her favorite thing about Dutch Bros is the unique experience every time.
“They’re not like a normal coffee shop like where you go and it’s like, ‘I want to get a latte,’ ‘OK, here you go,’” Ferguson said. “They genuinely want to know all their customers, and I think that’s what gets them really good business.”
The jobs, experience and atmosphere Dutch Bros provides has helped the Aggie community, Ferguson said.
“Compared to Starbucks — which A&M has so many of — Starbucks does have good benefits, but I feel like Dutch Bros gives good qualities to all of their employees,” Ferguson said. “That gives [employees] a good advantage when they want to get a job out in the real world [when] dealing with customers and stuff.”
As a coffee lover who has tried nearly every coffee place in College Station, Ferguson said Dutch Bros is now her No. 1 choice for coffee.
“As a customer, their atmosphere, coffee-getting experience and how great their coffee is makes it my favorite coffee place,” Ferguson said. “Anyone who’s tried it knows they’re amazing. I don’t know what it is about them, but every time I need a little pick me up, I go there and feel like I could do hundreds of pages of homework after. Everything about them makes me feel so much better.”