Dutch Bros Is Hitting on all Cylinders But Be Careful if This Vital Metric Turns South

By Reuben Gregg Brewer – Apr 10, 2026 at 12:15PM ESTKey PointsDutch Bros is a fast-expanding coffee chain.The company's new store openings are powering top-line growth.Restaurants have a habit of going in and out of favor. For example, coffee giant Starbucks (SBUX 0.32%) struggled to retain customers in fiscal 2025, with same-store sales down 2%. However, in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, it turned things around with a 4% increase in same-store sales. Sales are the top-line number that most investors look at, but when it comes to restaurants, same-store sales tell you more about the business. This is why Starbucks' competitor, Dutch Bros (BROS +0.04%), is shining right now. Here's what you need to know and what you need to watch for as the tiny restaurant chain continues to expand. Dutch Bros is hitting it out of the park Dutch Bros increased its store count by 16% in 2025. That helped to drive the company's revenues higher by a huge 29%. But the real strength of the business showed up in its same-store sales, which rose in every quarter of the year. Same store sales were higher by 5.6% for the full period, ending the year with a huge 7.7% advance in the fourth quarter. Image source: Getty Images. Same-store sales show how stores that have been open for at least a year are performing. It is, basically, an indication of how well the company's core business is being operated. However, the changes are often modest in percentage terms compared to the impact of new store openings. That means operating weakness at a small company like Dutch Bros could easily be masked by new store openings. Don't get wowed by the top line Clearly, Dutch Bros is growing rapidly right now, driven by robust store openings and strong operating performance. It is great news, and growth-oriented investors should be very pleased. Notably, even after increasing the store count by 18% in 2025, the company still only operates 1,136 coffee shops. Starbucks operates over 40,000. ExpandNYSE: BROSDutch BrosToday's Change(0.04%) $0.02Current Price$55.87Key Data PointsMarket Cap$9.2BDay's Range$54.90 - $56.7252wk Range$44.58 - $77.88Volume44KAvg Vol5MGross Margin25.68% There is a huge opportunity for Dutch Bros to continue growing its quick-serve restaurant chain. However, it isn't uncommon for small restaurants to focus so heavily on new store openings that the performance of existing restaurants suffers. When that happens, some companies double down and try to open even more locations, which usually makes matters worse. Dutch Bros is cheaper than it has been Investor enthusiasm around Dutch Bros has waned, with the stock down more than 25% from its 52-week high. It isn't uncommon for relatively small, fast-growing businesses to see pullbacks like this. Given the company's strong business performance, more aggressive investors may be tempted to buy it. Just make sure you watch the top line and same-store sales, so you have a full picture of how the company's performance is really unfolding over time.Read NextApr 7, 2026 •By Catie HoganDutch Bros Is Down 18% in 2026, But Its Loyalty Program and Unit Economics Still Look StrongApr 7, 2026 •By Danny Vena, CPADutch Bros Stock Is Down 24% Over the Past Three Months.

Should Investors Buy the Dip?Mar 29, 2026 •By Parkev Tatevosian, CFAStock Market Sell-Off: 1 Undervalued Growth Stock to BuyMar 15, 2026 •By Catie HoganBetter Stock to Buy Right Now: Dutch Bros vs. StarbucksMar 15, 2026 •By John Ballard2 Growth Stocks Down 40% to Buy Right NowMar 14, 2026 •By Neil PatelThe Ultimate Growth Stock to Buy With $1,000 Right NowAbout the AuthorReuben Gregg Brewer is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering energy, utilities, REITs, and consumer staples. He is the former director of research at Value Line Publishing, where he rose from mutual fund analyst to equity analyst before leading all research operations. Reuben holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from SUNY Purchase, a master’s in social work from Columbia University, and an MBA from Regis University. He has been featured as a financial expert on CNBC and in the Financial Times, Barron’s, and InvestmentNews.TMFReubenGBrewerStocks MentionedDutch BrosNYSE: BROS$55.86(+0.02%)+$0.01StarbucksNASDAQ: SBUX$96.58(-0.36%)-$0.35*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.