With Dutch Bros opening in the Northland, there has been a debate brewing. Competing with Starbucks is a tall order, as Starbuck has been familiar to the student body for years, but with this new coffee shop opening, some are turning away from Starbucks and moving on to Dutch Bros for their caffeine fix.
“Our store is definitely marketed toward a younger demographic,” Dutch Bros manager Brooke Kinnaman said. “We do get a lot of diversity in age, but I would say majority of the people coming in are teens.”
While Starbucks has its loyal customers, students are gravitating to Dutch Bros. Dutch Bros also offers a variety of fruity, noncoffee-based drinks such as smoothies, sodas and energy drinks.
“Starbucks’ coffee gives me really bad stomach aches and makes me feel like I am going to puke,” sophomore Olivia Bransfield said. “For that reason, I like Dutch Bros more.”
Bransfield said not only does Dutch Bros taste better, but it also doesn’t cause her to feel sick after drinking it. That there are 11 Starbucks stores in a five-mile radius to the school, and that gives people more opportunity to gravitate toward Starbucks. Social studies teacher Carrie Bowman, a Starbucks enthusiast, preferred her old favorite to Dutch Bros.
“I like Starbucks more because of their consistency, and the location is on my way to work,” Bowman said.
A small latte at Starbucks (tall) costs $3.15, at Dutch Bros all their small “Dutch Classics” coffees cost $3. While the costs seem similar, the cups are not. The Dutch Bros cup sizes were bigger than those at Starbucks. At Starbucks, the large (venti) is 20 ounces, and at Dutch Bros their large holds 24 ounces.
“We still have a lot of teens coming in, and it’s not mostly just adults,” Starbucks manager Jill Williams claims.
While Starbucks is more conveniently located having multiple locations, Dutch Bros is the new option drawing people in. Starbucks might be the original, but Dutch Bros is giving them a run for their money among the teen crowd.
