RIO RANCHO, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s been over a week since a popular coffee chain opened up in the metro, but you wouldn’t be able to tell when passing by. Coffee lovers are all in on the new Dutch Bros with some people waiting an hour or more to get their caffeine fix.
Car after car, after car, a line stretched from Dutch Bros Coffee and wrapped all the way around to other businesses nearby. The scene is what 19th Street, just west of Unser in Rio Rancho has looked like since opening.
Sunday morning, coffee lovers tried beating the rush, by showing up early. “I drove for like 30 minutes away to get Dutch Bros, to get a drink,” said one of the customers while she waited in line.
However, Dutch Bros was a little bit slower than usual on Sunday. Customers say there was a power outage at the coffee house, causing them to open late.
The entrance was coned off, and the drive-thru completely empty, but the power outage didn’t stop people from waiting for one of the signature drinks. Some telling us they had waited for at least 45 minutes.
The line even starting to overflow into surrounding businesses’ parking lots, like New Mexico Orthopedics. An employee even told drivers they couldn’t wait in their private parking lot, telling them to get a move on. The drive-thru finally opened around 10 a.m., making the long morning wait worth it for the Dutch Bros die-hards.
There are plans for a second Rio Rancho location at 528 and Barbara Loop. The company says they hope to have an Albuquerque location soon.
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