Sophomore Emily Lueckenotto

Pulling into the drive-thru, sophomore Emily Lueckenotto anticipates getting her drink to start her day. Her go-to order is an iced chai “Golden Eagle,” a vanilla and caramel breve that can be customized to fit the personal preferences. 

“It’s sweet but it’s not too sweet and it has a really good balance of everything,” Lueckenotto said.

Lueckenotto found that the overall experience of Dutch Bros was better than what she had experienced in the past. Lueckenotto was greeted by friendly, energetic staff members and she found that the drinks were crafted better. 

“The quality of the drinks is surprisingly good, a lot better than Starbucks in my opinion,” Lueckenotto said. 

When she first tried Dutch Bros, she noticed significant differences between it and Starbucks. Lueckenotto also found that her normal chai-based drink that was her go-to order at Starbucks was presented in new ways. According to Lueckenotto, she discovered that Starbucks was limiting her options, and once she went to Dutch Bros there was a wider variety than she ever expected. 

“Starbucks doesn’t have as many options as Dutch Bros,” Lueckenotto said. “[At Dutch Bros] you can customize different types of the same base of drink.”

Senior Adrian Villegas

Inching the car closer to the window, senior Adrian Villegas prepares to order his new usual drink. His go-to order is a blended “Caramelizer” with soft top, a caramel mocha. However, Villegas said he also enjoys the category of drink called “Rebels.” The drinks can be customized in a variety of ways, but Villegas always gets his blended.

“Getting them blended just tastes better and it allows you to get more for your money,” Villegas said. 

As a frequent customer of Dutch Bros, there are a variety of things that, Villegas said, makes Dutch Bros unique. The chain gives out a monthly sticker during the first Wednesday of every month. Villegas also found that their customer service really improves the experience of going out to get coffee. The employees are friendly and genuinely want to know how their customers’ days are.  

“The atmosphere and the employees make a really big difference against other companies,” Villegas said. 

The popularity of Dutch Bros can sometimes be a hassle, but Villegas does not let other customers get in the way of him getting his needed caffeine for the day. 

“There was a car mad at us because they thought we cut them off in line, but they didn’t know how the order of the drive-thru worked,” Villegas said. “So, I typed ‘Why are you mad’ on my phone and raised it through the roof.”

Junior Alanah Garcia

When approaching Dutch Bros, junior Alanah Garcia was excited to try the popular chain that she has heard about from friends and family. But after her visit, she found that she much rather prefers getting her caffeine from Herbalife tea shops or Energizing Mission. 

Garcia was stuck waiting in a long line full of impatient customers waiting for their beverage orders the moment she got to the drive-thru. The only positive thing that she left with was the warm kindness that she felt from the workers. 

“The workers seemed to be nice and the environment itself was okay, but the line was way too long for me,” Garcia said. 

After having to wait for an extended period of time and arriving at the order window, Garcia was disappointed by the lack of options presented to her compared to the other places that she frequents. 

“I was expecting something very similar to herbalife tea, but I was surprised when the menu was strictly coffee and Red Bull drinks,” Garcia said. 

Senior Finnegan Stocks

Senior Finnegan Stocks will never be seen in the Dutch Bros drive-thru. Since the opening, Stocks has heard from several friends who have given the chain a try and their reviews have allowed Stocks to form the decision to not even give the chain a try for himself. 

“I’ve heard too many people say that it’s bad, so if I’m being honest I’ve never tried it,” Stocks said. 

One word that was the ultimate turn away from the chain was when a close friend of his described the chain as “disgusting.”

“I was surprised when someone actually said this to me, and it wasn’t just the one time,” Stocks said.

When Stocks gets his coffee he prefers a smaller, cozier feel like the local coffee house Hi Hat Coffee. He thinks the coffee has a much better quality and environment feel that cannot be replicated by larger chains. 

“Hi Hat is really good and it’s local,” Stocks said. “I enjoy going with family and enjoying the feel of the little place.”