Published April 4, 2026

After I moved from Baton Rouge to Oregon in 2010, I needed a new place to get hot coffee. The most convenient option was on the way to work, a short drive from the office, and looked interesting to me.

So I pulled up at a Dutch Bros.

First, let me say that I’m not interested in arguing like a coffee snob about Louisiana vs. the Pacific Northwest. “Coffee culture there might surprise you,” I’d tell anyone from one place about the other place. So there.

I grew up in a Community Coffee household with French-speaking adults in Lake Charles, Louisiana, waking up to the smell of it. I still drink it when I’m home. There’s even a sign in my apartment boasting of it.

That’s not the only New Orleans brand I still drink. I’ve been able to buy Café du Monde in the Pacific Northwest, including at the restaurant next door to my apartment. I save that for special occasions.

Now, about that first time at Dutch Bros. A young woman came to the window to take my order. Having grown up with the stuff, I asked if I could get a café au lait. She turned and asked a co-worker if they made that. He asked her to repeat it, and after she did, he broke into a chant.

“Olé! Olè, olé, olé!”

Teauxteaux, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Louisiana anymore.

Different culture, to be sure.

When I explained to them what it was, they approximated it as best they could. I soon switched to getting an Americano. I worked long days.

That was nearly 16 years ago. I thought of Dutch Bros as a regional thing, and I think it mostly was. While I wasn’t paying attention, it started opening locations in Oklahoma and Texas. But I found out that in 2009, the year before I moved up here, the company had more than 130 coffee stands in seven states.

And hold on! There’s more! Dutch Bros opened a Lake Charles location in September, and a Baton Rouge location in October! Shreveport got one last month, so the three main cities I lived in before moving to the Pacific Northwest each have a Dutch Bros!

“Olé! Olè, olé, olé,” indeed.

Who knows? Maybe there’s one near you.

I’ve since found many places where I enjoy getting coffee. But I’ll never forget my first Dutch Bros experience. My guess was he was a fan of soccer, which is popular here, but maybe he was more into bullfighting or flamenco dancing!

Sending love. Protect your peace.

Featured image by kevineye via Shutterstock.

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