Dutch Bros has submitted plans to open a coffee shop in Streetsboro, proposing a new building at 9580 State Route 14, next to Aldi and in front of the Shady Lake apartments. The Streetsboro Planning and Zoning Commission is set to consider the proposal on November 10 at Streetsboro City Hall, 9184 State Route 14.
According to the Record-Courier, the proposed building would measure 986 square feet with no indoor or outdoor seating, relying instead on a drive-thru with two lanes feeding a single window, plus a walk-up window for customers on foot. The site plan calls for 22 parking spaces and room to stack 18 vehicles, with access coming through the traffic signal at Home Depot Drive and private Highcrest Drive. The property would also need to be replatted before the project could move forward, and Dutch Bros is leaning on a traffic impact study that was previously conducted at the site back when Texas Roadhouse was being considered for the same parcel.
Dutch Bros estimates the location would see 45 stops in the morning and 17 stops later in the day, per the same report. If approved, the Streetsboro shop would be among the first Dutch Bros locations in Northeast Ohio, joining proposals already in motion in Fairlawn and Stow.
A Mayor Who's Been Burned Before
Streetsboro Mayor Glenn Broska isn't ready to celebrate yet. Broska announced in 2024 that both Texas Roadhouse and Chick-fil-A planned to build new eateries on the same State Route 14 property. Chick-fil-A delivered, opening in Streetsboro in September, but the Texas Roadhouse plans never materialized, the mayor has said.
“When we announced they were coming, after that they went silent,” Broska said in an email sent earlier this year, adding bluntly, “I don't believe they are coming.” His skepticism, tied specifically to the Texas Roadhouse deal, underscores how projects pitched for that stretch of State Route 14 don't always make it to groundbreaking — a caution worth keeping in mind as the Dutch Bros proposal heads to commissioners.
Oregon-Based Chain Expanding Fast Across Ohio
Dutch Bros, a drive-thru coffee chain based in Oregon, already operates a location in Columbus, two in the Dayton/Springfield area, and four around Cincinnati. The company has been pushing aggressively into Ohio, and Northeast Ohio is the next frontier: besides the Streetsboro pitch, Dutch Bros has plans for a drive-thru on the former Stow-Glen property on Kent Road in Stow and another at the old Skyway location in Fairlawn, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. That September report described the Stow and Fairlawn sites as the chain's first in Northeast Ohio.
The Fairlawn project has already drawn pushback from some residents, who cited concerns about increased traffic and competition with local businesses, the same outlet reported. Fairlawn had granted Dutch Bros preliminary site and conditional-use approvals as of early September, though final site-plan approval was still pending; a Fairlawn zoning commissioner said at the time that a traffic study found the development's traffic could be accommodated. Those concerns and approvals apply to the Fairlawn site specifically and don't speak to how Streetsboro's commission will handle the proposal in front of it.
Part of a Broader Ohio Build-Out
The Northeast Ohio push mirrors what's happening in central Ohio, where Dutch Bros plans to open three locations by early 2027. The Columbus Dispatch reports the first central Ohio shop is set for 5344 W. Broad St., with a second at 9930 Johnstown Road in New Albany expected to open before the end of this year and a third, at 5939 Sunbury Road in Blendon Township, now under construction and slated for an early 2027 opening. Nationally, Dutch Bros operates 1,300 shops across 27 states, per the Dispatch.
Other Business on Streetsboro's Agenda
The Dutch Bros proposal won't be the only item before Streetsboro's Planning and Zoning Commission on November 10. The meeting agenda also includes a proposed expansion of Woodside Lake Campground at 9857 Elliman Road and a facade change for Mavis Tire & Brakes at 9567 State Route 14, both elsewhere in the city.
