Dutch Bros posts strong sales, plans 185 new shops in 2026

Dutch Bros is growing fast enough that its next challenge is no longer just opening stores, but keeping the company’s personality intact as the hiring load rises. The drive-thru beverage chain said first-quarter revenue climbed 30.8% to $464.4 million, same-shop sales rose 8.3%, and company-operated same-shop sales increased 10.6%, while it opened 41 new shops, including 33 company-operated locations.

Those numbers pushed the company to raise its 2026 outlook. Dutch Bros now expects revenue between $2.05 billion and $2.08 billion, same-shop sales growth of 4% to 6%, adjusted EBITDA of $370 million to $380 million, and at least 185 total system shop openings. As of Dec. 31, 2025, the chain had 1,136 locations across 25 states, up from a business that started in 1992 with brothers Dane and Travis Boersma and a double-head espresso machine on a pushcart in Grants Pass, Oregon.

For workers, that expansion brings opportunity and pressure at the same time. More shops mean more openings for baristas, shift leads, trainers, managers, and support staff, but also more new hires to train and more chances for inconsistency in the handoff from one store to the next. Dutch Bros has built its brand around speed, friendliness, and constant interaction at the window, so the real test of scale is whether a new crew in a new market can deliver the same energy as the stores that made the chain a cult favorite.

Christine Barone said the company’s foundation is built for long-term scale, anchored by its people-led culture, meaningful customer connection, and industry-leading innovation. She also said Dutch Bros’ teams continue to bring the “electric energy, kindness, and connection” that define the experience. That language matters because it points to the company’s core product: not just drinks, but a service style that depends on tone, timing, and teamwork under pressure.

The competition around that model is getting tougher. Starbucks launched Energy Refreshers nationwide on April 7, offering year-round drinks with extra caffeine and B vitamins, and McDonald’s said on April 28 that it would begin selling six permanent specialty drinks nationwide starting May 6. That means Dutch Bros teams are not just scaling into new neighborhoods; they are scaling into a beverage market where more chains are chasing the same customers, and where keeping the line moving without burning out staff becomes part of the business model.