Take a look inside: Dutch Bros Coffee opens this week in Las Cruces

LAS CRUCES – The wait is over! Dutch Bros Coffee is opening its Las Cruces location at 5 a.m.  Thursday, June 17. Closing time is 11 p.m.

The coffee chain's opening has been highly anticipated since it was announced in January. Dutch Bros has locations across the western United States, but the closest to Las Cruces are in  Albuquerque or Arizona. Now, all Las Crucens have to do is drive to Bataan Memorial East — near the Wendy's and Mister Car Wash at the Rinconada Boulevard intersection — for a customized hot or cold beverage.

The move to Las Cruces has been in the works for about a year, according to local operator Lindsey Bianco. They broke ground in December 2020. The original opening date was planned for April 23 of this year but was pushed back due to electrical and other issues.  

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Customers will be able to drive through or walk up to the business and employees will help newbies concoct their drinks. The menu includes coffees, teas, energy drinks, Dutch Frosts (shakes), smoothies, lemonades, cocoa and more — with everything customizable. Alternative milks are available for those interested.

“I honestly just hope the community comes by, I’m so excited to meet them,” Bianco said.

And pets are welcome, too. Puppuccinos can be whipped up for dogs, and a box of treats is waiting right under the window for canine customers.

Bianco said some of her favorite drinks are blended chais, similar to a milkshake you can add flavors to, and cold brew coffee. The Ninja Frost is another favorite. It is made of crème de menthe and white chocolate.

She said about 50 to 60 people have been hired — including high school- and college-aged students. Dutch Bros held a soft opening for employees' friends and family Monday evening and the lines backed up all the way past the Mister Car Wash and into Rinconada Boulevard.

“If there's of course any kinks that we need worked out in there it also gives us a time to be like ‘OK, maybe we need to move this around or change this,’" Bianco said about the soft opening. "We have a couple days between that and then grand opening which always gets even crazier."

She said they are anticipating quite a lot of people Thursday, especially with the weather so dry and hot. They even have a traffic plan.

Bianco said she and her team are excited to become part of the community and give back. She said their operation is about competition with other area coffee shops but about bringing something new to town.

Giveback days are something they have in the plans as well. “Buck for Kids” Day is coming up in September, where $1 from each drink is donated to a nonprofit organization. Bianco mentioned Boys and Girls Club of Las Cruces as a possibility. Dutch Luv Day is on Valentine’s Day every year with proceeds going toward local food banks. And Drink One for Dane Day in May supports Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) research and advocacy — named after one of Dutch Bros’ founders who died from the disease.

Other giveback days throughout the year are planned.

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“We're here to listen and have that helping hand and be your friend,” Bianco said. “It's really changed my life just working here and I just feel so blessed to be able to be in a community that I already feel connected to, without even being here that long. So I'm excited for this next chapter, the next year really.”

Dutch Bros Coffee is at 3550 Bataan Memorial East and is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. everyday.

Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, lromero@lcsun-news.com or @rromero_leah on Twitter.