Dutch Bros Coffee — Restaurant in Longmont

I’ve now been to Dutch Bros 3 times. First, I want to say the whole business idea behind Dutch Bros is really cool and the staff are wonderful, hence why 2 stars instead of 1. We’ve yet to encounter a staff member who wasn’t smiling and friendly, which goes a long way! The dog treats are an additional perk and our pups love them.

However, having been a Barista for 6 years in a past life, I feel the need to call out a few things that really need improvement if this business is to be successful and foster loyal customers.

Speed is incredibly slow ~ We've waited AT LEAST 20 minutes for our drinks every single visit. This is unacceptably slow. I understand Dutch Bros is going for the quality customer experience and the casual conversation in line and at the pickup window is part of the model. This is really nice, to a point. 5-10 minute wait times would be much more viable. This is part of growing pains when opening a new location, dealing with new staff, staff turnover, etc. I think wait times will be reduced once the location is more established.

Drink quality is bad ~ This is where my barista background comes into play. Baristas need to learn how to properly steam milk! This is key to a smooth and sweet beverage. Today, I ordered a medium mocha that was not aerated at all, there was no foam on the top of the milk, and it was piping hot (think 175* by the time I got it home and took the temperature). It was undrinkable. My wife's drink was, unfortunately, the same.

Milk should NEVER be steamed this high, ever. 160-165* is where you want to be. Anything above this and milk proteins begin to break down, causing the milk to scald (it smells and tastes horrible). Aeration is also of the utmost importance, even if the customer does not want foam on the top of their drink. If you improperly aerate the milk, you are missing out on the mouthfeel and wonderful sweetness that warmed milk naturally has to offer. Barista training will be key here! Treat your milk proper, and the payoff will be huge!

Order taking in line is inaccurate ~ I think taking orders from customers who are waiting in line is a great idea and it offers a perfect opportunity to connect with the staff! We love this! However, the staff taking drinks needs to learn the menu. We ordered 2 items and both were entered incorrectly because the order taker did not know the drinks or understand the order.

Overall, we really want to love this place. It’s new and hip and the staff are truly lovely. Further, the constant drink deals I receive via text are very enticing. However, waiting 20 minutes for the wrong beverage, made incorrectly is a hard pill to swallow. We’ll certainly give DB another shot ~ I think additional training could go...

The employees at this location are great. However this location is really lacking on organization and moving the morning line through quickly and efficiently. Be prepared if the line is at the corner of the building,2 lines you will be STUCK (literally stuck because their parking lot is tiny and you can’t get out of the line if you decide your done waiting and even if your gonna be late for work,you will for sure be late and still stuck). This is especially true during the chilly fall days and literally ALL of the winter days. They don’t have an electronic board to order,usually they have employees out walking down the line to get your order so by the time you get to the window your quickly paying and/or just grabbing your order. HOWEVER I’m the winter you don’t get to put your order in until you get to the window. Then they have to make it and pay and then you leave. So it’s a one by one order during cold days. I’m currently stuck in line,it’s officially been 25 minutes and I still have 7 cars in front of mine. So at this rate I won’t get my order until 40ish minutes from the start of the line. So just be prepared. If it’s November-April (even may if it’s a later winter) just be prepared for an almost tortured long amount of time for your order. Dutch bros is in now way a quick stop in the morning at all. Not to mention their prices are now more expensive than Starbucks (but boy do I love Dutch bros chia better). Just makes me sad about the prices since the entire world is getting more and more expensive and Dutch bros use to always be the cheaper better option for my morning drink. Not so much anymore. I feel like chick fil a could really do a teaching course for businesses like Dutch bros on how to move their process along cause Dutch bros,love you but your really dropping the ball...

Dutch Bros will forever remain iconic and a staple in life. Employees are relatively sweet, conversational, and efficient at this particular Dutch - plus they love and adore animals that show up at the drive-thru which is always appreciated. However, the baristas in Longmont always seem to be distracted (and maybe dismissive?) while messing around or superficially chatting with their coworkers. This is generally understandable when it’s an occasional occurrence, but it’s strange considering how attentive and compassionate Dutch Bros employees usually are on a regular basis everywhere else. The drinks are a mix of subpar and delightful (it’s a 50/50 chance each time you visit here), but some of the employees at this location could definitely improve on their customer service when directly serving their patrons.

Addition: this establishment was the first ever Dutch Bros location I was exposed to four long years ago, and I must say the staff and experience were both so spectacular then (more like life-changing!). The drink quality and dedication/enthusiasm of their baristas was absolutely incredible then, and I’m sure they will return to those impeccable standards once again...