Dutch Bros. Coffee has submitted plans to build two drive-through stores in Fountain Valley, one at the Village Center shopping center and the other in the parking lot of Floor & Decor.
The stores, approved by the city in March and April, could be the first Dutch Bros. for Orange County. A preliminary plan submitted and approved in January in La Habra would see another Dutch Bros. sprout from a vacant lot at 777 S. Beach Blvd.
A Dutch Bros. representative said Monday the store Fountain Valley store next to Sprouts is further along in the process and should be complete by the end of the year. The second store on Warner Avenue and the La Habra store both are in early development stages with few details to provide, she said.
The Oregon-based company founded with a pushcart in Grants Pass in 1992 has expanded into a drive-through business. At least 500 corporate and franchise-owned stores are scattered in 12 states and staffed by “broistas.” More than a dozen Dutch Bros. have opened (or are opening) in the Inland Empire.
The chain has a bit of a cult following and is known for its long lines, similar to a certain California burger chain. Its menu offers a combination of cold and hot drinks plus blended smoothies with no coffee. Examples include the Cocomo (coconut mocha), the Double Torture (extra double shot vanilla mocha) or a simple espresso and water American. The chain does not sell drip-style coffee.
The company, which anticipates sales will near $1 billion this year, told the Oregonian it was accelerating store development with 150 new locations ahead. CEO Joth Ricci in a statement said Dutch Bros. has a five-year goal to have “800 systemwide shops by year-end.” The company has opened a flurry of locations recently in the Inland Empire.
Two permits were submitted to the city and approved, meaning the company can move forward with construction, according to Omar Dadabhoy, the city’s deputy city manager and community development director.
One plan calls for a 950-square-foot Dutch Bros. building with a double drive-through at the northeast corner of Magnolia Street and Talbert Avenue in the Village Center shopping center. The proposed building, just steps from the Sprouts grocery store, will be adjacent to Magnolia Street, “south of the Subway building and north of the Chevron gas station,” city documents say. The project applicant is listed as Armet Davis Newlove & Associates and the owner Paragon Commercial Group of El Segundo.
A second location was proposed for 1.2 miles north at 9065 Warner Ave. in the parking lot of the Floor & Décor retail store. The project planner is listed as Barghausen Consulting Engineers and the property owner is Merv Simchowitz of San Bernardino.
According to planning commission documents, both facilities would serve up to 20 vehicles in the drive-throughs and provide a service window for walk-up customers from the outside. No outdoor seating is proposed, the proposals read.
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The proposal provides a wealth of information about the store and how it works. Dutch Bros. focuses on “high-energy” drinks and sells very little else. The menu include hot and cold drinks and a few non-coffee options. Only five non-beverage items are available — mostly prepackaged baked goods.
A typical Dutch Bros operates with four to six employees per shift with the drive-through and walk-up window operating from 5:30 am to 10:00 pm Sunday through Thursday and 5:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
“While these are the typical store hours for Dutch Bros, the business plan indicates the need to be able to extend their hours on a seasonal or permanent basis to up 24 hours per day,” the proposal states.
Similar to how In-N-Out handles its long lines, the Dutch Bros. drive-through will skip the speaker box and take orders at the window or with a runner who carries a handheld device to transmit orders to the kitchen.
If you’ve heard of Dutch Bros. coming to your city, drop us an email with the details at sgowen@scng.com.
Editor’s note: This post was corrected to say the city has two proposals for Dutch Bros. locations.
HŌM decor store opens in Dana Point
A home decor boutique opened in Dana Point on Friday, April 28 at the Del Prado West Development.
HŌM Dana Point offers interior design services along with a showroom for shoppers to peruse. Spaces are designed like a home with a full kitchen, bed and bath as well as living and dining spaces curated with locally-sourced goods for your home.
Danielle Desimone is HŌM’s owner and founder.
“It has long been a dream of mine to combine my passion for thoughtful interior design with the ability to bring to life the warm, effortless aesthetic of California, and HŌM is the realization of that vision,” she said in a statement.
Address: 24452 Del Prado Avenue, Suite A. Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, go to www.homdanapoint.com or call (949) 276-6999.
Spotlight awards honor 9 OC people, orgs
Nine Orange County residents and organizations were honored recently by the Regional Center of Orange County at its 26th annual Spotlight Awards held April 20 in Fullerton.
The awards, created in 1997, honor Orange County residents and organizations that have helped people with developmental disabilities.
The recipients are:
Debby Becket, of Huntington Beach (parent/family member award)
Cathy Furukawa, of Long Beach; training and organizational specialist at RCOC (RCOC achievement)
Eli Goldstein of Lake Forest (direct support professional)
Lorri Guy, a Los Alamitos resident and disability support services workforce program coordinator at the North Orange County Community College District (community partner)
Thomas Megerian, a Ladera Ranch resident and clinical director and pediatric neurologist at CHOC Thompson Autism Center (healthcare professional)
Edwards Lifesciences in Irvine (employer)
Stephanie Carlson, a La Habra resident with an intellectual disability, anxiety, and fragile health (self-advocate)
Elizabeth Santos, an Anaheim Hills resident with Elizabeth Homes agency (lifetime achievement)
Rainbow Home Care of Santa Ana and Magda Rodriguez, CEO/president/CFO (service provider)
Sally McCrady, chair and president of PNC Foundation, shares a moment with a student at Beyond Blindness. The PNC Grow Up Great program contributed a $50,500 grant to Beyond Blindness for a free, interactive program called Learning Link. (Courtesy of Beyond Blindness)
Learning Link relaunches with $50,500 contribution
Santa Ana-based Beyond Blindness has re-launched its Learning Link program with help from the PNC Foundation.
The PNC Grow Up Great program, a $500 million, multiyear, bilingual early childhood education initiative, contributed a $50,500 grant to Beyond Blindness for the free, interactive program that supports parents who are not able to send their children to preschool on a regular basis.
The curriculum works for participants ages 0 to 5, including those with and without disabilities, and requires adult participation so parents can learn how to effectively engage with their children at home.
On the move
Jessica L. Miley has been named senior vice president and chief development officer at Children’s Hospital of Orange County in Orange. Most recently, she served as chief operating officer for the Children’s National Hospital Foundation in Washington, D.C. At CHOC, Miley will lead the CHOC Foundation and direct all fundraising and development programs.
Susan Kenny is the first chief executive of Uplift Yoga Foundation, a nonprofit in Laguna Beach. The nonprofit says it supports teen mental health through “peer connection, movement and mindfulness.” Kenny was most recently the founder and chief of Do Gooder Partners, a consulting firm.
Illumination Foundation Co-Chief Executive Officer Pooja Bhalla and Representative Lou Correa. (Courtesy of Illumination Foundation)
Milestones
Illumination Foundation co-Chief Executive Officer Pooja Bhalla was named a 2023 CA-46 Congressional Woman of the Year by Rep. Lou Correa. Bhalla was honored for outstanding contributions to the 46th Congressional District.
Status Update is compiled from press releases by contributing writer Karen Levin and edited by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos to sgowen@scng.com. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.
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