Phoenix Coffee Shack Forced To Close For Being Too Popular

The Dutch Bros. coffee shack at Camelback Road and Central Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona is busy all times of day. I know this because I used to live a half-mile from there, and I'd see customers thronging outside its window and honking in its drive-thru lane any time I passed it, whether during the morning commute or later in the evening. The coffee shack—with just a walk-up window and drive-thru, no indoor seating—is so popular that its neighboring businesses complained to the city, which has revoked its permits.

The Arizona Republic reports the location won't have to close until February, but plans are in the works to relocate to a new location down the street at Camelback and 3rd Avenue. Admittedly, the current intersection housing that particular Dutch Bros. shack is a gnarly one, with clustered strip-mall type retail shops along both Camelback and Central. Nearby businesses reportedly complained that Dutch Bros. customers and staff parked in their spots, blocked traffic through an alley, and tied up the flow of vehicles along Camelback Avenue.

What's the secret sauce that makes Dutch Bros. so popular? There are two coffee shops within two blocks in either direction of the Dutch Bros. kiosk, but none likely serve the breadth of latte flavors that Dutch Bros. offers.

A partial list: Ba-Nay-Nay, Banana Bread, Banana Cream Pie, Banana Split, Birthday Cake, Black Forest, Cake Batter, Cinnamon Dolce, Cinnamon Roll, Cookie, Cotton Candy, Flap Jack, French Toast, French Vanilla Bean, German Chocolate (not to be confused with Black Forest), Horchata, Jelly Donut, Peach Cobbler, Peppermint Bark, Raspberry Truffle, S'mores, Snickerdoodle, Sugar Cookie (not to be confused with Cookie), Toasted Mello (not to be confused with S'mores), Vanilla Bean, White Angel, White Zombie.

Fin.