Oregon drive-thru chain Dutch Bros plans to move some of its corporate functions from its headquarters in Grants Pass to an office near Phoenix, Arizona, closer to its fastest-growing markets in the southern and southwestern United States.
The Oregonian reports Dutch Bros' headquarters will remain in Southern Oregon, but the company's new CEO Christine Barone will live in Arizona. That's where she worked before Dutch Bros hired her last year.
Dutch Bros said it will shift 40% of its support staff to Phoenix, relocating some positions from Oregon and hiring in Arizona to fill other positions. The company said it hasn't determined just how many jobs will move to Arizona and cannot be more specific because it's in a regulatory quiet period before the release of its fourth-quarter financial results.
Dutch Bros founder and chairman Travis Boersma said, "Grants Pass is always going to be home. Our roasting plant is here. We'll have offices here. A large portion of our people are going to stay here." He said he will continue living in Grants Pass and still considers Dutch Bros to be an Oregon company.
However, Barone and Boersma said that it's important to have more corporate support closer to its shops. Dutch Bros often operates in suburbs and small towns, and Barone said Phoenix offers far more direct flights to airports close to the communities where it operates than Medford does.
Dutch Bros finished last year with 831 shops in 16 states. It's expanding rapidly in Texas and Oklahoma, with plans to push into Florida and it expects to have nearly 1,000 locations by the end of 2024. The company hopes to grow to 4,000 drive-thrus eventually and is overhauling its executive team in pursuit of that goal.
