The question of Starbucks vs Dutch Bros comes up a lot in my household.
My wife is a dyed in the wool Starbucks fanatic. She likes their food, she has several favorite drinks, and when she runs errands she’s guaranteed to have a Starbucks drink along.
I tend to be into the latest and greatest thing. I’m frankly bored with Starbucks. In my hometown of Houston, you’ll often see several Starbucks locations within just a few blocks of each other. It’s ubiquitous.
That’s why I like Dutch Bros. They’re popping up all over my home state and they have a totally different approach to fast-casual coffees and other drinks.
Because I have a dog in the fight, I decided to approach this question as scientifically as possible.
This post attempts to solve the question of Starbucks vs Dutch Bros using a simple scientific method.
This is part of a series of posts with coffee head-to-head comparisons:
The Question
Which buzzy coffee shop chain is better – Starbucks or Dutch Bros?
First, some basics.
Starbucks is a massive brand with global recognition. You’ll find more than 15,000 Starbucks locations in the US. Starbucks also has thousands of locations in 76 other countries.
Dutch Bros is not so massive. At the time of this post, they have 538 stores. You’ll mainly find Dutch Bros in West Coast states, but they’re spreading eastward.
Starbucks cut its teeth as a purveyor of gourmet coffees. At the time of Starbucks massive expansion in the early 90s, gourmet coffee wasn’t the high-interest item it is today.
Dutch Bros boom in popularity is far more recent. The company started franchising in 1999 (with Starbucks already well-established in the US) but didn’t begin to spread to more US states until 2018. You could say that Dutch Bros success depends on the coffee revolution spurred on by Starbucks.
An easy read on the competition is that Starbucks is the more conservative older brother to the more radical Dutch Bros. You’re more likely to find weird coffee flavors at Dutch Bros, though their menu is more limited than Starbucks.
My Hypothesis
Yes, *I* prefer taking a trip to Dutch Bros over Starbucks. This preference comes down to my taste. I like Dutch Bros coffee better than Starbucks.
Obviously, Starbucks is the better-known entity with greater global purchasing power and a massive advertising budget.
So, while I might prefer Dutch Bros, I understand that Starbucks is Goliath to Dutch Bros’ David.
I have a feeling that Starbucks and Dutch Bros will come out even in the end. I anticipate that each chain will win a few categories, and my decision will be split.
My Methodology
The easiest way to compare these two coffee shops is to pit their coffee drinks in a head-to-head competition.
I chose three coffee drinks that both chains serve and that I enjoy:
- a plain drip coffee
- an Americano
- an iced latte.
I’ll rate each of them on flavor and cost.
My Research & Reviews
Here we go – a drink-to-drink battle between the reliable old dynamo Starbucks and the chippy newcomer Dutch Bros.
Who Serves Better Drip Coffee – Starbucks or Dutch Bros?
My wife bought a cup of house blend drip coffee from each location, poured them into identical cups, and had me rate them.
Here’s what happened:
Drip Coffee 1
This is close to a flat and mediocre coffee.
It has nice qualities – it’s very hot and I can tell it was made recently. I also really appreciate the aroma – besides the deep and rich roast coffee smell, there are flashes of toffee and cocoa powder.
But that’s about where the positive stuff ends. Coffee #1 has little body (meaning it feels light on the tongue). To my taste, there’s not much here in the way of flavor. Especially as the coffee cooled.
I don’t know if this particular cup was slightly burned, or if the chain that sells this stuff intentionally burns the grounds, or what. But there’s a distinct pungent and unpleasant note of burnt coffee. I find it especially loud during the finish and aftertaste.
This cup costs $2.35, according to my wife. I consider that a reasonable price for a cup of gourmet coffee.
Flavor – 6/10
Cost – 8/10
Total – 14/20
Drip Coffee 2
The second coffee was more impressive than the first, but not by much.
The main thing I appreciated in this cup is the deep coffee flavor that lingered in the mouth.
I also noticed a better mouthfeel, a little more luxurious than the nearly-watery stuff in cup one.
My wife says this cup cost “about $3.”
The absence of the burnt flavor of the first cup was welcome, as was the stronger caffeine kick that I noticed after a few sips.
Flavor – 7/10
Cost – 7/10
Total – 14/20
Who Serves a Better Chai Latte – Starbucks or Dutch Bros?
Same principle here. My wife got me two Chai lattes, one from Starbucks and one from Dutch Bros.
After concealing the identity of the two drinks, she served them to me.
Here’s my impression:
Chai Latte 1
This is a pleasant drink.
I appreciate the blend of spices, milk, and coffee.
I particularly appreciate the strong espresso flavor that cuts through the chai.
My main complaint with this drink is that it’s a bit too white sugar sweet for my taste.
If I had to guess, I’d bet that this sweetness comes through with whatever chai concentrate the restaurant is using.
I wouldn’t be able to drink an entire cup of this, especially if any sweeteners, syrups, or other toppings were added.
This drink cost exactly $3 according to my wife.
Flavor – 6/10
Cost – 7/10
Total – 13/20
Chai Latte 2
Right away, I can tell this second cup is more pleasant to drink.
While I miss some of the espresso flavor cutting through the first cup, I appreciate the gentle sweetness here.
Because it’s less cloyingly-sweet, this cup’s spices and other flavors pop out more.
In fact, I finished the entire cup, if that tells you how yummy this chai latte was.
A little disappointed that this cup cost $3.65 – that’s $0.65 more than the first cup.
I guess you get what you pay for when it comes to chai.
Flavor – 9/10
Cost – 6/10
Total – 14/20
Who Serves Better Iced Coffee – Starbucks or Dutch Bros?
Because iced coffee is my wife’s favorite coffee drink, I decided to flip the tables and let her make the tasting notes and pick the winner.
I did the same thing as before – I purchased a plain iced coffee from both locations, hid their identities, and let my wife taste and review them.
Here are her notes:
Iced Coffee 1
My wife reports that this cup was “smooth,” but lacked much coffee flavor. In fact, she shook the cup around and eyed it suspiciously, thinking aloud that I might have let it melt too much in the car on the way home.
She opined that it would be perfect for added flavors or syrups, since it’s generally pretty bland.
After a few more sips, she detected a slight burnt edge to the flavor. She described it pretty closely to my description of the burnt drip coffee from the above section.
She brightened a little when I said that I only spent $2.25 for the cup. But she said she probably wouldn’t finish it without adding hazelnut or vanilla or something.
Flavor – 5/10
Cost – 8/10
Total – 13/20
Iced Coffee 2
When I ordered this cup, the employees were a little flummoxed. It isn’t necessarily “on their menu” (this should be a big clue as to the identity of the shop), but they figured it out.
What they made was an Americano on ice. It sounds great to me, but is it technically an “iced coffee?” I’ll leave that up to the coffee nerds.
My wife appreciated what she called a “stronger coffee flavor,” and was happy to report a total lack of burnt flavor.
She said she’d happily drink this cup as is, without flavor. Though I noticed she only finished half of it before getting bored and moving on.
The price for this cup? $1.50. That almost made her spit out her sip. This was by far the most reasonably priced item in this post, and she really appreciated that.
Flavor – 6/10
Cost – 9/10
Total – 16/20
The Results (Starbucks vs Dutch Bros)
After we revealed to each other the identities of the various coffees, we weren’t surprised.
Here’s which shop won each category:
- Drip Coffee – Tie
- Chai Latte – Starbucks
- Iced Coffee – Dutch Bros
Overall, Starbucks earned 40 out of a possible 60 points. Dutch Bros earned 43 out of a possible 60 points.
You could say that Dutch Bros edged Starbucks on points, even though the overall competition was a tie. I think that’s disingenuous.
The truth is, Dutch Bros wouldn’t exist without the influence and example of Starbucks.
The two chains are trying to pull from two different demographics.
Most people, like me, will have a preference based on intangibles like atmosphere and attitude.
Still, if you’re looking for a good Chai Latte, you might head to Starbucks over Dutch Bros.
The opposite is true for iced coffee. Since Dutch Bros makes it with a superior espresso coffee, you’re probably better off ordering it from them.
Conclusion
Ultimately, as I predicted, the two chains end in a tie.
Some people will always prefer Starbucks. Others will swear by the atmosphere and modernized menu at Dutch Bros.
If you have something to add to the debate, please leave a comment and let’s get the debate going.