Dutch Bros Coffee, an Oregon-based chain, has plans to open its first metro location in Shawnee, complete with a drive-thru.
Located near the southeast corner of Shawnee Mission Parkway and Flint Street, the 950-square-foot coffee shop is on a site north of a now-vacant building that formerly housed a fitness center.
Jay O’Dell of Aubry Enterprises, who is leading design on the project, said the company is working to open the new location sometime in spring 2022.
“It’s cool, for me, the fact that they’re first starting here in Shawnee,” O’Dell said. “It’s good for the community. It should be a source of pride for the city of Shawnee that they did choose Shawnee as their first site in Johnson County, their first ground-up site in Kansas.”
Dutch Bros Coffee is also planning to repurpose an existing site in the Legends shopping center in Kansas City, Kan., and building a new coffee shop in Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Here’s another prototype design of what the Dutch Bros Coffee location in Shawnee could look like:
O’Dell said most of the coffee shop’s business is done through the drive-thru, although a walk-up window is available to order.
Staff also greet customers waiting in the drive-thru to serve them more quickly (similar to what customers at Chick-fil-A may experience).
The shop will have some outdoor seating but none indoors.
The Shawnee Planning Commission on Monday voted 10-0 to approve a final site plan and final plat for the project. Commissioner Carrie Bingham was absent.
O’Dell said they’ll apply for a building permit in the coming weeks, and the Shawnee City Council may consider approval of the final plat sometime in October. Construction could begin sometime in November.
Fun fact: Dutch Bros Coffee was featured on the television show “Undercover Boss” in season 5, episode 8.
