What is it about a coffee drive thru company that will bring people from miles and miles away to wait in a line lingering as long as an hour, to get a drink and then proceed to drive back home? When I first saw the cute little roadside stands of Dutch Bros Coffee Co. I wondered this exact thing. Having never been before, and wanting to see what all the hype was about, I drove my car into the line and waited, not for my drink but for something I soon learned was incredibly special. Don’t get me wrong, Dutch Bros is a place with amazing coffee. They have a variety of drinks that are quality made and are consistent in how they turn out, but a lot of places can do good coffee. With the proper shot time and water flow, this isn’t a hard thing to eventually master. The thing about Dutch Bros, I believe, that keeps people coming is love.

Love: what the heck, we can get that anywhere, right? Why from the coffee drive up line? This is what’s unique about Dutch Bros, that sets it apart from the other millions of coffee chains out there. Dutch is about love...you can see it going there, but especially now working there it could not be more evident. When you go up to a Dutch Bros stand, the first thing you see are people whose main goal is to love on you. People are smiling, telling you how excited they are to see you and asking how your day is going. They are writing notes of encouragement on your cup and offering little additional treats that just make you feel individually special. You’re a customer sure, but you’re not another number someone has to get through, and that’s just the first experience! When you come back frequently and become a regular you also have a relationship with the ones working. I was shocked when I first stepped in to work at the stand how many names of regulars were remembered by the baristas around. People asked about family events or how they could pray for them or just knowing their name and what they order before they ever went to the window. As a newbie they knew you were one, and quickly you’d find yourself introducing yourself and joining into a relationship with these regular customers as well.

Then there are the struggling customers, those with a heavy burden they bring to the window. My second day a customer came up explaining her mom had a stroke, my friend encountered a customer who found out she had cancer on the morning of her birthday. Pain is no stranger to the atmosphere of the world or of Dutch Bros, but the response I saw once again left me in shock. These customers received free drinks, support, hugs, notes...Truthfully whatever resource it took to get them back in a place of happiness and comfort. The question was never “can I” but instead “how can I.” It was never "will this person be served" but instead "what all can we do to serve them." All I could think after seeing this spirit consistently was what a beautiful picture of true love.

While this is amazing to see, I feel like anyone can fake being nice, that they can put a smile on and pretend to genuinely care about someone, but for Dutch the family atmosphere given off from the window is no stranger to the inside of the stand as well and this is not just present in one stand but in all. Having trained in two different ones so far, it’s beautiful the love you feel. The first day people are running up hugging you introducing themselves and wanting to get to know you. They are coming around asking if you need anything and following up after shift with how you felt it went. Then off shift group messages are blowing up with consistent encouragement, prayer requests, people offering assistance how they can. Everyone is in it together and desires the best possible success and health for every person there, no matter what you look like, do, believe, find cool in life, it doesn’t matter you’re simply loved just for being you.

Reflecting back now the lines make sense, the business is expected, because when people go to Dutch they are going for more than just a good cup of coffee. They are going to see their family that loves them and have their day brightened by the love that pours onto them, that they may or may not have had before. Long story short, there is no place I would rather work more and this family is one to stay and I pray, thrive.