Scooter’s vs Dutch Bros: Amarillo’s New Rivalry

When it comes to local businesses, the most notable rivalry that we have in Amarillo is the Pak-A-Sak vs Toot-N-Totem rivalry. On every corner, you are either going to find a Toot-N-Totem or a Pak-A-Sak. The competition for traffic in Amarillo is fierce when it comes to these two local franchises and their race to become the dominant convenience store in Amarillo is well-known. But during the past few years, another sort of rivalry has sprouted out of Amarillo's taste for a quick coffee.

A New Kind of Coffee

Although we have Starbucks, Roasters, Dunkin Donuts, and Palace Coffee, none of these franchises have the accessibility of location or sheer convenience as the drive-through business models Dutch Bros and Scooters Coffee. Both franchises, relying on small, accessible, and likely cheaper-to-build locations have introduced a new kind of convenience to Amarillo's caffeine-craving market.

The Newcomer

Dutch Bros began this trend in Amarillo, opening its first location near Coulter and Hillside, and was well met, bringing in a surprising amount of traffic despite having a major competitor, Starbucks less than a mile away. Thanks to Dutch Bro's success on Coulter, more Amarillo locations were built not long after. Now there are three Dutch Bros. Locations in Amarillo, and more are likely to come.

The Rival

Earlier this year, Scooters, another drive-through coffee chain opened on 34th and Western and has been doing pretty well since. Well enough to begin plans on opening another location already. If you've ever gone down 34th or Georgia you've definitely noticed that construction on another Scooters is taking place, and it's being done quickly. When it will open is still unknown, but at the rate at which they are building, it won't be for long. Chances are though that if this location performs well, we can expect more scooters to be opened up in the future.

With both franchises expanding in Amarillo at such fast rates, we could be seeing another rivalry that mirrors that of the Pak-A-Sak vs Toot-N-Totem rivalry. How long will it take before drive-through coffee shops are on every other street corner in Amarillo?