Anissia White

Dutch Bros vs. Starbucks

Coffee shops are found in abundance all over the world. From an early morning pick-me-up to an evening treat, these shops are a place of comfort and familiarity. In California alone, there are an estimated 40,000 coffee shops, with many of them being franchises. Starbucks is a well-known classic to all Americans, especially in California. While Dutch Bros is gaining fast popularity, they didn’t make their presence known in California until 2021. Despite Starbucks’ head start, Dutch is already just as successful and loved. So, this begs the question: who’s better?

When it comes to the environment that both franchises embody, most people agree that Dutch Bros takes the cake. Known for their friendly, welcoming personalities, Dutch lives up to their motto of “serving good vibes”. Sophomore Jiraeh Faiaipau shares, “they actually talk to you like ‘How are you doing?’ instead of Starbucks like ‘What do you want? What’s your order?’” You are almost always guaranteed to be greeted with a smile and Broistas aren’t afraid to have a conversation outside of what’s required of them. Freshman Yulissa Rodriguez says she prefers Starbucks but admits that Dutch Bros has great costumer service; “they’re always really nice.”

Regarding prices, Dutch Bros is a lot cheaper and offers larger sizes. Faiaipau says, “Dutch Bros, their drink size, is like a venti cup and it’s cheaper.” For example, a Vanilla Protein Latte at Dutch Bros is 24oz for $6.95. The same item at Starbucks is $7.45. In fact, upgrading to a large (32oz) at Dutch is only $0.10 more than the 24oz at Starbucks.

In terms of diversity, Dutch Bros has many more choices when it comes to drink options that allows them to be more than just a “coffee shop”. Some may appreciate Starbucks’ simplicity, but others enjoy Dutch’s menu of sodas, lemonades, milkshakes, energy drinks, and even matcha lemonades, which can all be customized free of charge. They have over 20 flavored syrups and almost all of them have a sugar-free alternative. Starbucks also has a lot of flavor options but many of them are seasonal, and they don’t have many fruity options. Rodriguez, while preferring, Starbucks acknowledges Dutch Bro’s big menu; “Starbucks has… a lot of things you can make your own… but Dutch has a lot of actual options.”

Dutch also gives you more points per beverage when you have the app, which also features a digital sticker book that is filled through different achievements. Perhaps the biggest downside of Dutch Bros is their lack of locations. In California, their locations are very sparce outside of the very central valley or highly populated cities. Meanwhile, Starbucks has multiple locations in every town. Dutch also doesn’t have many food items, compared to Starbucks solid pastry and snack menu. Dutch Bros is usually open from 5am to 11pm while Starbucks is open around 4:30am to 9pm, which makes Dutch Bros more accessible for night owls and Starbucks for early birds.

Regardless of your beverage needs, it’s safe to say that you’ll be satisfied at Dutch Bros. Starbucks will always be a classic, but Dutch offers new, fun snacks and is still evolving to meet the needs of everyone.