Dutch Bros. to expand into Illinois

URBANA — The corner of Green Street and Lincoln Avenue in Urbana may soon see new life in the form of a new coffee shop. Dutch Bros. Coffee has approached the Urbana City Council for a special use permit that would allow for a drive-thru coffee shop at 809 W. Green St.

The site has been vacant since 2021. The site used to be home to a Circle K gas station and car wash. The initial permit was denied due to safety concerns for pedestrians and cyclists. However, the developers approached the City Council again at last Monday’s meeting with revised plans to accommodate pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

While the city was more receptive to the modified plans, they would still like to see more warning signs for foot traffic. The site would include a drive-thru lane and a walk-up window, in addition to around ten parking spaces for customers and employees. There may also potentially be a bike rack for cyclist traffic.

Dutch Bros. was founded in 1992 by Dane and Travis Boersma and is based in Grants Pass, Ore. The brothers opened the coffee shop after their family’s dairy farm was struggling to make ends meet. The name comes from their grandparents being Dutch immigrants. The majority of its locations are drive-thru only. As of 2024, there are 982 locations across the United States through a combination of corporate-owned and franchised stores. About 650 of the stores are corporate-owned.

As of 2024, the company raked in over a billion dollars in revenue, with total assets nearing $2.5 billion. Dutch Bros. employs approximately 17,000 people. The company offers a variety of made-to-order coffee drinks, smoothies, and energy drinks. Dutch Bros. is also eyeing a location in Glen Carbon, as first reported by the Belleville News-Democrat. If approved, these would be the first locations for the company in Illinois.

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Jacob Hamm

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I am a college senior at Eastern Illinois University. I cover a wide variety of topics across Central Illinois such as protests, artistic and cultural events, local economic development, and the occasional column.

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