A new drive-thru coffee shop has opened at 941 N. Milliken Ave. in Ontario, bringing San Diego-based Better Buzz Coffee Roasters' branding and honey bee mascot to the Inland Empire. The location's hours run from 4:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the address sits across the street from Ontario Mills, in a building that was formerly a Wendy's restaurant.
A job listing on coffeejobs.com had earlier signaled the move, telling applicants that “BETTER BUZZ COFFEE is opening another location soon in the Ontario, CA area,” with an expected opening timeline of October 2026. Better Buzz's own locations page confirms the Milliken Avenue address, and the company's website lists more than 60 locations overall, per the Daily Bulletin's reporting.
From a College Coffee Cart to Dozens of Stores
Better Buzz Coffee Roasters was founded in 2002 by two college students who started out with little more than a coffee cart, according to the coffeejobs.com listing. The company has since grown into a chain with locations spanning California and Nevada, the listing notes, and is now based in San Diego as a small-batch roaster, according to the Press-Enterprise.
Signature Drink Gets a Fall Makeover
The chain's calling card remains Best Drink Ever, described by the Daily Bulletin as the company's signature coffee.
The chain's menu includes drinks and food. The chain's broader menu, as described in earlier Press-Enterprise coverage of other Inland Empire openings, has similarly featured acai bowls, avocado toast, sandwiches and wraps across its locations.
A Pattern of Inland Empire and High Desert Openings
The Ontario opening follows a string of nearby debuts. Better Buzz expanded into the High Desert with new cafes and drive-thrus in Apple Valley, Hesperia and Victorville, the company announced on its own blog, where it also said all espresso and coffee-based drinks are made with beans roasted locally in Southern California in small batches. Those three High Desert spots serve the same handcrafted lineup of cold brews, specialty lattes and refreshers found elsewhere in the chain, according to the company.
Further south, Better Buzz opened its first San Jacinto drive-thru on Dec. 11, 2025, at 1580 S. San Jacinto Ave., and followed with a second Temecula location at 29440 Rancho California Road, across from Temecula Duck Pond, which opened at 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 20, 2025, per the Press-Enterprise's reporting. Each opening came with its own limited-time twist on Best Drink Ever — a Cookie Butter version topped with Speculoos cookie crumbles in Temecula, and a Pistachio version with pistachio and vanilla cream in San Jacinto, both offered for the first 30 days. By December 2025, the chain had grown to 55 locations, the Press-Enterprise reported, with hours typically running from 4:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. at most sites.
Better Buzz uses its honey bee branding and the company slogan, “Life's Better Buzzed,” according to the Daily Bulletin's description of the brand. For Ontario residents, the new Milliken Avenue drive-thru marks the latest stop in a rapid expansion that shows little sign of slowing.
