Coffee giant Dutch Bros made all of its executives, including the CEO, do a two-week bootcamp where they learned how to pour drinks and run stores
The chain says they witness first-hand how customer connections are made, and learn how to perfect drinks including the popular Golden Eagle coffee, so that everything tastes the same on Monday as it does on Wednesday.
Key points
- Dutch Bros staffers, from store owners to senior managers, have been put through the course for years to understand the hard work of the chain’s 25,000 broistas churning out drinks.
- Dutch Bros CEO Christine Barone can do more than steer a $7.5 billion coffee chain—she can also hold her own behind the store counter.
- “That is one of the magical signs of a great culture that I need to make sure I build upon, because when my team cares so much about the customer that they’re going to tell the CEO that they were doing something wrong, I love that.” The executive’s beverage training is part of the company’s “growth from within” model.
Like all other top leaders at the beverage giant, she embarked on a two-week bootcamp to learn the ropes of being a “broista.” And the chain’s workers weren’t afraid to call her out on mistakes.
Additional details
- By 2018, it was already at 300 locations and employed 9,000 staffers, then private equity TSG Consumer Partners acquired a minority stake in Dutch Bros to grow it even more.
- The brand is known for its high-energy service and sugary drinks, which have since made their way to high school classrooms and office cubicles across the country.
- During the training, leaders complete six shifts of hands-on shop training, sharpening their hospitality skills, perfecting drink orders, and learning how to deliver on the values of speed, quality and service.
- “As we rolled it out to the more broader team across HQ, we were very thoughtful about making sure our marketing teams went through the training, especially the folks who are helping to design and make beverages,” the CEO explains.
- At the end, Dutch Bros leaders have to pass a “Flow” test, with questions ranging from drink recipes and company history to shop operations and culture.
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