Dutch Bros Coffee has been a hotspot for students here at Fossil Ridge High School, as well as all of Northern Colorado. Dutch Bros is a chain business that originated in Grants Pass, Oregon, in 1992 and has since grown immensely, coming to Fort Collins in 2017 where it quickly hit the ground running. This company is very widely loved throughout Fossil so we did some research on why this is and how this business has been so successful in our community and age group. 

The first observation we made contributing to their success is the unique menu. Dutch Bros offers a menu of variety that allows customers to be creative with their beverages. They encourage customers to make personalized drinks by having their drive-through menu display only a few of their most popular items, this way it urges customers to ask questions and collaborate with baristas to think up their own personalized drink. Dutch Bros’ menu also accounts for many different beverage preferences. For example, the “rebel,” is their style of an energy drink and their own take on a Red Bull. Dutch Bros can make teas, smoothies, sodas, lemonades, or coffee in any style you can think of. This variety seems to draw in younger people because we like to try unconventional drinks that you cannot find at any old coffee shop. We also love having the freedom to personalize our drinks with all the flavors and styles we can imagine. 

Another key factor to Dutch Bros’ popularity would clearly be their great prices and consistent promotions. Ducth Bros does an amazing job with their pricing and I feel that no other coffee shop can compare to their quality along with generous quantity. Dutch Bros is very smart to do the stamp card system because it provides a great deal of incentive for customers. The stamp card allows a customer to receive one stamp for every drink bought, and after ten stamps, one drink of any size you desire is free. They are constantly having promotions like Two-Stamp-Tuesday, Club Dutch, Bogo’s, and many more. These deals cater perfectly to teens because we are all beginning to work and spend our own money, so any discount is an amazing opportunity.

Many Fossil students find themselves indulging in Dutch Bros drinks during their breaks and even for lunch because of the affordability and easy accessibility. With Dutch Bros being less than ten minutes from campus, Fossil’s students are constantly refueling with a cup of Dutch Bros. They connect to our young generation by using social media and text message promotions to get ahold of students on their personal devices. Their text line sends near weekly promotions to excite customers and remind them to come and take advantage of the deals. They also offer a differing monthly sticker for free on the first day of every month for each customer that is personalized with their logo. These stickers are popular to put on cars, water bottles, and notebooks to promote their business or for decorations.  

Dutch Bros’ customer service is unbeatable as their employees are relatable to young clients or clients of any age for that matter.The stands are surrounded by high schools so their busiest hours are typically before school, lunch time, and after school hours. Dutch Bros’ stand managers are very selective with their hiring process, only looking for the most positive and outgoing workers who will lead a friendly conversation with customers and give a welcoming feeling to each and every person they encounter on the job. All of these are reasons we feel have made Dutch Bros coffee such a hit in and outside of Fossil.