Dutch Bros was founded on February 12, 1992 by Dane and Travis Boersma, brothers of Dutch descent, in Grants Pass, Oregon. Their family’s third-generation dairy farm had been struggling due to changes in environmental regulations, and the brothers were looking to start a new business. Travis Boersma suggested a coffee cart where they could sell espresso. Dane Boersma was able to help finance the idea with money he had set aside while running a Dairy Queen franchise. They spent an initial $12,000 on an espresso machine and a single pushcart, which they set up in downtown Grants Pass. The name Dutch Bros was chosen in honor of their immigrant grandparents.
They soon added four more carts, and by 1994 had established their first drive-through location. In 1996, the company began roasting its own coffee, sourcing beans from El Salvador, Colombia, and Brazil.
In 1994, Dane and Travis Boersma struck a deal with a customer, Marty McKenna, which allowed him to open his own Dutch Bros in Medford, about 30 miles away from Grants Pass. McKenna’s first stand performed so well that he soon opened up a second one across town. In 1997, the Boersmas brought McKenna on as partner, hoping he would continue to expand the Medford operations. Two years later, they bought out McKenna’s stake in the company.
In 1999, Dutch Bros started formally franchising. The company opened its 50th franchised drive-thru location in 2004. That same year, shortly after moving into a new headquarters in Grants Pass, a nearby dumpster fire spread to the building, destroying Dutch Bros roasting equipment, five vehicles, and thousands of pounds of coffee beans. Following this incident, the company continued to expand, and by the end of 2004, operated 61 coffee shops spanning from Northern California to Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
By 2009, Dutch Bros was running approximately 135 coffee stands in seven states and generating $50 million in gross annual revenue. Travis Boersma was featured on the American version of the television show Undercover Boss in 2013. Revenues continued to grow into the mid-2010s. The company made $238 million in systemwide sales in 2015, $350 million in 2016, and $415.3 million in 2017, by which point there were over 283 Dutch Bros locations.
In January of 2017, Dutch Bros purchased a vacant shopping center in downtown Grants Pass where their original push cart was located. The company converted 20,000 square feet of the shopping center’s interior into futsal courts for local youth soccer teams and workout space for its employees. In March of that same year, the company bought the Washington Federal bank building across the street from the shopping center, with the intention to move its headquarters and 150 employees into the bank building the following fall.
Dutch Bros is headquartered in Grants Pass, Oregon. It is majority-owned by Travis Boersma, who holds the title of executive chairman, and Joth Ricci is its President and CEO. The company operates approximately 500 stores across 12 states and employs about 16,500 people. In September 2021, Dutch Bros became a publicly traded company, selling 21 million shares for a total of $484 million.
Dutch Bros co-founder Dane Boersma died on October 15, 2009, after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis for more than five years. The Boersma family and Dutch Bros launched an annual fundraiser titled "Drink One for Dane" in 2005 as a way to increase awareness of the disease, raise support for those impacted, and fund research to find treatments and cures. Proceeds from the campaign are donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. As of 2021, Dutch Bros has raised more than $10.3 million in support of MDA's ALS programs.
The company donates 1 percent of its gross sales to the communities it operates in. It also holds annual fundraisers where it donates a portion of every beverage sold to children's and other charitable organizations.
We've got good news! You can stop worrying about what you're having for dinner tonight, because this Classic Scalloped Chicken is the best thing on the menu. There's no need to get jittery because this easy casserole recipe is ready in no time, and totally willing to be a part of your weeknight dinner plans. Get ready for something hot and delicious everyone will love!
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 stick (2 tablespoons) butter, melted
- 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
- 1 (12-ounce) jar chicken gravy
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 (2-ounce) jar diced pimientos, drained
- 1 1/2 cups instant rice
- Preheat oven to 400º. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter; sauté chicken 6 to 8 minutes or until no longer pink.
- Remove from heat and add broth, gravy, mushrooms, peas, pimientos, and rice; mix well. Pour into baking dish, cover with aluminum foil, and bake 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven, uncover, and stir well. Bake, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes, or until rice is tender. Serve immediately.
1888 – Maurice Chevalier, French singer and actor (d. 1972)
1913 – Jesse Owens, American athlete (d. 1980)
1931 – George Jones, American country music singer (d.2013)
1940 – Linda Gray, American actress
National Chocolate
Milkshake Day on September 12th brings chocolate and ice cream lovers together. Forget the calories for just this one day and enjoy a sweet tall, thick and delicious, chocolate milkshake!
The term milkshake first appeared in print in 1885. During this period, milkshake referred to an alcoholic beverage described as a “sturdy, healthful eggnog type of drink” blended with eggs, whiskey, and other ingredients. Pharmacies served the drink as a tonic and a treat to customers. By 1900, pharmacies offered this “wholesome drink” with either chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla syrup.
- The early 1900s – People began asking for this “new treat” with a scoop of ice cream.
- 1911 – Hamilton Beach’s drink mixers began to be used at soda fountains.
- 1922 – Steven Poplawski invented the electric blender or drink mixer.
- Due to the invention of the blender, the milkshake began to take a chipped, aerated, and frothy form as they are today.
- By the 1920s & 1930s, milkshakes became a popular drink at malt shops everywhere.
Another addition to the milkshake was malted milk powder. Made from malted barley, wheat flour, and dehydrated whole milk, malted milk tastes a bit like toasted caramel. It made its debut around the 1870s as a shelf-stable dry milk product. Add the powder to a chocolate milkshake, and transform the creamy goodness into a malted chocolate milkshake. Along with milkshakes, malted milk milkshakes became popular drinks at soda fountains around the 1920s.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Enjoy a chocolate milkshake at your favorite restaurant or soda fountain.
