Dutch Bros Brews Up Expansion Plans, Defying Consumer Jitters

As of November 16th, 2025, while growth stocks have been leading the market higher this year, not all consumer-focused companies are trading at near all-time highs. Investors appear to be nervous about the state of the consumer and the economy. However, one coffee chain, Dutch Bros, has been performing well operationally and has a long runway of growth still ahead.

Dutch Bros, a regional coffee shop operator, has been expanding nationally and is known for its sweet, over-the-top drink concoctions and proprietary Rebel energy drinks. The company has consistently delivered mid-single-digit comparable store sales, including a 5.7% increase in the third quarter of 2025. Company-owned stores performed even better, up 7.4%, as transactions increased 6.8%. This growth has been driven by new drink introductions and the popularity of order-ahead mobile ordering.

Looking ahead, Dutch Bros has a significant opportunity to boost same-store sales in the years to come with the introduction of hot food items. Stores that have already begun offering the new food items have seen about a 4% lift in sales. Additionally, the company has admitted that it has missed out on sales by not having breakfast items, so this should be a nice growth driver.

Above all, Dutch Bros is an expansion story. The company currently operates fewer than 1,100 shops in 24 states, with most located in the western U.S. However, this is a fraction of the number of stores that Starbucks has in those same states. Dutch Bros plans to reach 2,029 stores by 2029, with a long-term goal of 7,000 stores. With Starbucks supporting more than 17,000 locations in the U.S. alone, the opportunity for Dutch Bros could eventually be even bigger.