Need coffee? You’ve come to the right place, it seems.

Following on the heels of national chains 7 Brew Coffee and Scooter’s coming to Bowling Green and other homegrown coffee shops expanding, Oregon-based Dutch Bros Coffee is percolating plans to bring its burgeoning brand to the city.

Work has already begun on the site of what will be a 950-square-foot drive-thru Dutch Bros store next door to the Waffle House restaurant at 1868 Russellville Road and plans are in the works for a second location on what was the Funky Bean restaurant on the U.S. 31-W By-Pass.

“Bowling Green is a great area and warm community that we’re excited to be part of,” Dutch Bros Regional Public Relations Lead Rilynn Davis said in an email.

Davis expects the Russellville Road store to be open in “early 2024” and the bypass location to be in operation later next year.

A building permit filed with the city of Bowling Green shows that Dutch Bros is investing $525,000 to build the Russellville Road store on a 1.27-acre tract owned by Rafferty’s Real Estate Partners.

Davis said the bypass location near the Med Center Health campus is “in the early permitting stages” as Dutch Bros continues its eastward expansion.

Founded in 1992 by brothers Dane and Travis Boersma, Dutch Bros started franchising in 1999 and is now a publicly traded company with more than 800 locations across 16 states and 2022 revenue of $739 million.

The majority of Dutch Bros locations are drive-thru stores, but some offer a walk-in area. According to the company’s website, the stores offer specialty coffees, smoothies, teas, energy drinks and some baked goods.

Still concentrated largely in the western U.S., Dutch Bros opened its first Kentucky location in Lexington earlier this year. More are sure to follow, according to Davis.

“Dutch Bros has grown very rapidly in the last few years,” she said. “The company has an extensive growth plan that includes opening quite a few locations throughout the Southeast.”

The company’s website, in fact, shows that a location in Richmond is in the works.

According to its website, Dutch Bros is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities it serves. Through its Dutch Bros Foundation, the company donates several million dollars to causes across the country each year.

Dutch Bros will provide more than just an early-morning caffeine fix at its Bowling Green locations, Davis said.

She said the stores will operate from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Each store will have approximately 35 employees, Davis said.