Brands Like Dutch Bros That Actually Franchise

If you searched for how to franchise a Dutch Bros, here is the fact that reframes the whole question: Dutch Bros does not franchise to outside operators. Per its own support page, the company grows through company-owned shops and an internal path that promotes existing employees into operator roles. There is no public franchise offering, so there is no fee to quote and no way for an outside investor to buy one.

What you almost certainly want, then, is a drive-thru or specialty coffee brand that does franchise. This guide lists the ones that do, with each brand’s reported franchise fee and total investment, drawn from the brand’s own franchising site where possible and clearly flagged where a figure comes from a third-party tracker instead. Every number here is a reported figure to verify against that brand’s current Franchise Disclosure Document before you rely on it.

Does Dutch Bros franchise?

No. Dutch Bros does not offer franchises to outside operators. Per the company’s own support article, it stopped public franchising years ago and now grows through company-owned locations plus an internal program that promotes existing employees into operator roles. That means there is no franchise agreement an outside investor can sign, no franchise fee, and no Item 7 investment table, because there is no public franchise offering at all.

This matters before anything else, because a lot of “Dutch Bros franchise cost” content online implies a number that does not exist. If you want the Dutch Bros drive-thru model, the realistic path is a different brand that actually franchises. The rest of this guide is those brands. If you specifically wanted the Dutch Bros brand itself, our Dutch Bros franchise page covers its model in more detail.

The drive-thru and coffee brands that do franchise

The table below lists specialty and drive-thru coffee brands that franchise to outside operators, with each brand’s reported franchise fee and total investment. Figures come from each brand’s own franchising site unless the source column says otherwise, and all are reported figures to verify in the current FDD.

Brand	Format	Franchise fee	Total investment	Source
Scooter’s Coffee	Drive-thru kiosk / endcap	$40,000	$658,898 to $1,068,525 (endcap); $1,163,650 to $1,345,750 (kiosk)	Scooter’s official FAQ
Dunn Brothers Coffee	Cafe / drive-thru	$30,000	$455,600 to $798,960	Dunn Brothers official FAQ
Biggby Coffee	Cafe / drive-thru / non-traditional	$20,000	$242,200 to $610,000 (whitebox leasehold)	Biggby official site
PJ’s Coffee	Non-traditional to free-standing	$15,000 to $40,000 by format	$280,500 to $1,680,000 by format	PJ’s official site
Ellianos Coffee	Drive-thru	$30,000	$797,450 to $1,397,400 (excludes real estate)	Ellianos official site
The Human Bean	Drive-thru	$35,000	$672,000 to $1,527,000	Human Bean official site
7 Brew	Drive-thru	$35,000 to $45,000 (trackers)	About $887,000 to $2,284,000 (trackers)	Third-party trackers; 7 Brew paused new applications as of 2026, verify in FDD
Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii	Cafe / non-traditional	$35,000 (directory)	Varies widely by source, not settled	IFPG directory, verify in FDD

How to read these numbers honestly

Two habits keep these figures from misleading you. First, separate the fee from the total. The franchise fee is a one-time payment disclosed in FDD Item 5, and it is a small slice of the cost. The total estimated investment, in FDD Item 7, is the real number, and for these drive-thru brands it adds the site work, the building or kiosk, equipment, signage, inventory, and working capital. That is why Scooter’s, Ellianos, and The Human Bean all report totals well over half a million dollars even though their fees sit in the $30,000 to $40,000 range.

Second, bind every total to a format. Within a single brand the total swings dramatically by configuration: PJ’s Coffee, for example, reports a non-traditional range starting around $280,500 and a free-standing drive-thru range topping out near $1,680,000. The low end of any range is the smallest, most stripped-down build, not a typical one. Match the number you use to the exact format you intend to open, and confirm it in that brand’s current FDD.

Where the numbers are less certain

Not every figure here carries the same confidence, and it is worth being clear about which. Scooter’s, Dunn Brothers, Biggby, PJ’s, Ellianos, and The Human Bean figures come from each brand’s own franchising site. Two entries are weaker.

7 Brew expands through partnerships with large multi-unit operator organizations, and its fee and total-investment figures here are from third-party trackers that vary notably by source. As of 2026, 7 Brew’s own support page states it is not accepting new franchise applications or expressions of interest, so its published figures are useful as reference, but there is no open application path for a new single-store buyer right now. Its recent growth has come through a small number of large development partners, such as Flynn Group’s 160-unit agreement, rather than new individual franchisees. Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii also franchises, but its total investment is reported inconsistently across trackers, so this guide does not state a single total for it. For head-to-head comparisons of specific pairs, see our Scooter’s vs 7 Brew breakdown and the drive-thru coffee franchise guide.

Questions to ask before you choose a brand

The reported figures above narrow your list. These questions confirm the real number for your deal.

• What does this brand’s current FDD Item 7 show for the specific format you intend to build, and how does that compare to the figure you saw online?
• What is the franchise fee in the current FDD Item 5, and does it change by format or unit count?
• What are the current liquid-capital and net-worth minimums, since those qualification gates can be a bigger barrier than the headline investment and vary by filing year?
• Does the brand accept a first-time single-unit operator, or does its model favor multi-unit groups, as 7 Brew’s does?
• Before you sign anything or pay any money, will a franchise attorney and an accountant walk through the full FDD for the brand you choose?