Dutch Bros Coffee prepares to open first location in Rockford
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A national drive-thru coffee chain with hundreds of locations across the country is preparing to open its first shop in the city.
Dutch Bros Coffee plans to open a dual-lane drive-thru at 7131 E. State St., which is just east of Perryville Road in the lot in front of Ashley furniture, Urban Air Adventure Park and Planet Fitness. It would be built on an outlot created on the northwest end of the large parking lot.
The coffee chain opened its first location in Illinois on Sept. 17 in Edwardsville, and Rockford is part of its first wave of expansion into the state. The goal is to start construction in spring and open by the third quarter of 2026, according to Adam Bell, vice president of development at Core Acquisitions, a Deerfield-based real estate developer.
Core Acquisitions, which owns the property where the Dutch Bros is planned, previously built the Valvoline Oil Change, Mission BBQ and Five Guys on East State Street. Now it’s bringing Dutch Bros Coffee to the busy business corridor where nearly 23,000 vehicles pass each day, according to Illinois Department of Transportation traffic count estimates.
“It’s definitely one of the premier areas for tenants to target for their initial rollout through Illinois,” Bell said. “We’re excited to work in Rockford again. The first time we performed a development project with the Mission BBQ, Valvoline and Five Guys we had a great experience with the municipality, and we’re excited to be working in the city again.”
The plan calls for a dual-lane drive through with an exterior walk-up window. There isn’t interior seating, but there would be limited outdoor seats.
City Council approval of a special-use permit is required for the drive-thru. First, the matter will go to the Zoning Board of Appeals on Oct. 21. City staff has reviewed the proposal and recommended approval, according to a staff report that will be presented to the ZBA.
Dutch Bros started in 1992 as a pushcart run by brothers Dane and Travis Boersma in downtown Grants Pass, Oregon. It started franchising in 2000 and quickly spread across the northwest. There are 1,043 locations across 19 states as of June 30, according to the publicly traded company’s investor report.
Dutch Bros features a variety of espresso-based drinks, coffee classics such as its oat milk latte, protein-packed coffees, shakes, smoothies, lattes and Rebel Energy drinks, among other high-energy options. It calls its baristas “broistas,” a take on the company name, and prides itself on a friendly and fast-paced customer experience.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
