The race to add another coffee option in Lakeland just sped up, with a proposed Dutch Bros drive-thru clearing a key hurdle at City Hall this week. The Municipal Planning & Design Review Commission advanced the chain’s site plan, nudging the project closer to the final approvals and permits it will need before construction can begin.
Commission pushes plan forward, questions coffee crowding
According to the Daily Memphian, the commission signed off on moving the application along during its latest meeting, but not before raising questions about just how many drive-thru coffee spots one stretch of road can handle.
At one point, a commissioner ticked off the existing and proposed options, asking, “So we’re going to go Starbucks, Dunkin, Shadrach’s, and Dutch Bros?” The panel’s vote is advisory, so the final word will come from the city’s governing board.
Who actually gets the final say
City planning rules spell out the process: the Municipal Planning & Design Review Commission makes recommendations on site plans, then forwards them to the Board of Commissioners, per the City of Lakeland. The board can approve, deny, or attach conditions while issuing any needed permits.
Residents who want to keep tabs on when the Dutch Bros proposal hits the agenda can monitor upcoming meetings through the city’s online calendar on the City of Lakeland site.
Part of a bigger suburban coffee play
The Lakeland push fits into a wider Dutch Bros wave in Shelby County and neighboring suburbs. Local development watchers have already flagged a Collierville shop that moved into construction last year. As noted by Boyle Investment Company, that location was designed as a compact drive-thru in the Schilling Farms area, a format that has become a go-to for the brand in metro markets.
Hoodline has previously tracked similar filings and openings in other regions, where the chain’s pickup window and drive-thru-focused layouts have been a frequent choice for developers looking to add fast caffeine to busy corridors.
If Lakeland’s Board of Commissioners signs off, the project would move into permitting and then construction. No firm opening date has been announced yet, per the Daily Memphian. Hoodline will update coverage when the board formally posts the item and Dutch Bros provides a timeline.
