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How Dutch Bros' new CEO Christine Barone plans to propel the concept forward

Holly Petre, Assistant Digital Editor

January 19, 2024

 

Not even a month into 2024 and it’s safe to say Dutch Bros has had a busy year thus far. As the calendar turned, Christine Barone officially took over the CEO role after serving as president for a little over a year. The company shared development guidance, aiming for 150 to 165 new units this year, including its initial entry into Florida in Q1. The long-term growth target is about 4,000 locations.

The company has also added three executives to its c-suite, naming Joshua Guenser as CFO, Sumitro Shosh as president of operations, and Jess Elmquist as chief people officer. And, earlier this week, Dutch Bro announced its intention to expand its Phoenix, Ariz.-based operations support center, shifting approximately 40% of its total support staff to the location by Jan. 1, 2025.   

On paper, the nearly 850-unit drive-thru coffee chain is acting a bit like a startup. In reality, the company has 32 years under its belt, tracing its roots back to a small pushcart operation in Grants Pass, Ore.

That said, for Barone, the timing of these updates – three years after the company hit the public market – is no coincidence.

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Dutch Bros Coffee

About the Author

Holly Petre

Assistant Digital Editor

Holly Petre is a digital editor for Nation’s Restaurant News as well as the host of NRN’s podcast, Extra Serving, and producer for Informa Restaurant and Food Group’s other three podcasts, One On One by Food Management, Off the Shelf with SN and In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn. Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture, fibers and Material Studies and Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A native New Yorker, Holly enjoys her place on staff as the resident pop-culture expert and millennial with a sassy attitude and great sense of style.

Holly Petre’s work on Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality often covers marketing and trends, either aimed-at or examined-through the millennial mindset. Holly is responsible for introducing TikTok and Twitch to NRN and RH readers as well as explaining terms like “Karen” to staff and readers alike. She also spends her time on staff trying not to make every headline a pun.

Holly Petre hasn’t spoken at any events or on panels, but she is readily available with a killer shoe wardrobe and several witty quips.

 

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