Going Dutch
New coffeeshop is about the experience, not the drink
The lines wrapping around the nascent Dutch Bros location near LSU’s campus on West Lee Drive are not a coffee emergency. It's a case study in brand engineering.
The big picture: Dutch Bros—now the third-largest coffee chain in the country, with roughly 1,000 locations—sells an experience, not just a cup. The Oregon-born drive-through chain has built a devoted following around flavored, caffeine-laced drinks that go well beyond coffee.
Why it works:
- Employees, called "Broistas," are trained to bring energy and engage customers—sometimes walking orders out to cars in line. The interaction is part of the product.
- Coffee is almost beside the point. The menu spans energy drinks, blended freezes, flavored sodas, teas, and lemonades—all built on a 25-flavor customization system that keeps customers experimenting.
- The Dutch Rewards app—free drink on sign-up—encourages repeat visits through a points-based loyalty system.
- The drive-through-only model fits car-dependent cities like Baton Rouge like a to-go cup fits a holder.
Start here: First-timers overwhelmed by the menu should default to the Golden Eagle—Dutch Bros' self-described most popular drink. It's espresso, half-and-half, vanilla and caramel syrup, finished with a caramel drizzle. Sweet, rich, and reliable. Order it iced.
The anti-Starbucks angle matters. Dutch Bros has cultivated a vibe that feels deliberately different from the green mermaid—louder, younger, more chaotic in the best way. A teenager who hates espresso can still find a mango-coconut energy drink that smacks the same way.
Yes, but: Baton Rouge has no shortage of strong local coffee. The lines will thin. What Dutch Bros is really selling right now is novelty, and novelty has a shelf life.
The bottom line: Dutch Bros didn't conquer markets by making better coffee. It conquered them by turning the caffeine run into an event.
