Oregon native proves ‘cool enough’ to open new Dutch Bros in Warner Robins

Maggie Briggs was 18 and in college at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, when she applied for a part-time barista position at a popular coffee shop in town.

She didn’t think she was “cool enough to work there,” but applied on a whim.

“If you’re from Oregon, or you’ve been to Oregon, you kind of know that Dutch Bros., like, is the most popular coffee shop,” said Briggs, who hails from the small town of Elkton, Oregon. “You know it’s where if you’re young, you really, really want to work there.

“The vibes are amazing, the atmosphere … It just attracts a lot of people. And I think that’s what makes us so different from everybody else is just that kind of experience.”

Today, only eight years later, Briggs is assuming the role of regional operator over the new company-owned Dutch Bros Coffee at 2695 Watson Blvd. in Warner Robins that’s on schedule to open this summer.

Briggs is moving to Warner Robins with her boyfriend, Andrew Bear, who has also made a career with Dutch Bros. The couple met when both were working at another Dutch Bros location.

The popular and fast-growing drive-thru coffee chain is known for its handcrafted beverages that include specialty coffees, smoothies, teas, freezes, lemonade, Dutch Bros Rebel energy drinks and Nitro Cold Brew coffee.

Climbing the company ladder

Briggs has worked hard to reach this milestone in her career. She was promoted to part-time shift lead about seven months after she was first hired at the Forest Grove location in December 2017.

She was promoted to full-time shift lead in August 2019. A year later, she transferred to another Dutch Bros in Hillsboro, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, where she met Bear.

Her senior year in college, in the fall of 2020, she decided to leave school and pursue a longtime career within the Dutch Bros family.

“Dutch Bros is where I really wanted to be,” Briggs said. “It was uncommon for me to have a bad day working at Dutch Bros. I loved being there. I loved my friends. I loved taking dub shots of coffee and shot gunning Rebels (energy drinks) and consuming way too much caffeine and always dancing to the music on shift. It didn’t feel like work.”

She was promoted to assistant manager in November 2020.

“Andrew was also promoted to assistant manager and we decided to commit to making a career out of it together,” Briggs said.

In early 2021, their regional manager, Brady Beagley, was offered a regional operator post in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“I approached him and asked if Andrew and I could move to Tulsa with him and manage his first two locations,” Briggs said. “So, we picked up our lives and moved 2,000 miles across the country for Dutch Bros.”

In November 2021, Briggs was promoted to manager of the first Dutch Bros to open in Tulsa, and in April 2022, she was promoted to regional manager of the South Tulsa Dutch Bros.

For the past three years, Briggs has served as a regional manager for Beagley.

“Brady has been my friend and mentor through it all,” Briggs said. “Andrew and I have built a community here and many friends through Dutch Bros. I will be sad to leave all of that behind but I am very excited to pursue my new adventure of being an operator in Warner Robins and bringing Dutch Bros to Georgia for the very first time.”

In addition to Warner Robins, the company’s push into Georgia includes Lawrenceville and Johns Creek. Bear will be the manager of the Dutch Bros in Warner Robins.

Why she loves Dutch Bros

Dutch Bros’ mission statement of “making a massive difference one cup at a time” resonates with Briggs.

“Basically, the meaning of that is, we’re not trying to change the world, necessarily,” Briggs said. “But when one person comes through our line, and maybe they’re not, you know, having the best day, or maybe they’re going through something … if we can do something for them in that moment that makes their day a little better, by, you know, maybe giving them a free coffee, or having a genuine conversation with them, or ask them how they’re doing and really mean it, maybe when they leave our stores and leave our line, that they’ll feel a little bit better.”

“And then maybe they’ll do that for the next person, and that person will do that for the next person. So it kind of causes this, like, ripple effect … We’re hoping that by treating people with kindness and just kind of like, embracing our culture and who we are and treating people that way, that that will go farther than just inside our store.”

In addition to the company culture of being a fun place to work and putting people first, Dutch Bros is known for delivering quality beverages with speed.

Some favorite drinks

Briggs said her favorite drink is the iced “caramelizer” that’s described on the menu as a bold espresso with Dutch Bros own chocolate milk and caramel sauce.

She makes hers “mafia style” and adds some salted caramel and a “soft top,” which she described as a liquid sweet cream that’s not as airy as whipped cream, but not as thick as Cool Whip. Mafia style means an extra double shot of espresso and extra sweet.

“It’s very rich, very thick and creamy,” Briggs said of the beverage.

Briggs suggested a few beverages for the first-timer to Dutch Bros.

“If you have never been to Dutch Bros and you’re trying it for the first time, sometimes it can feel overwhelming because we have a lot to offer,” Briggs said. “But every single one of our drinks is completely customizable and you can make it however you want.

“But I would definitely say try a golden eagle for sure, and then caramelizer, and then, if you’re wanting something that isn’t coffee, we offer energy drinks, which we call Rebels. It’s our own brand. We make the Rebels, and you can do them over ice or blended. And a super popular one is the electric berry or the shark attack.”

The golden eagle, made with espresso and caramel and vanilla breve with a caramel drizzle, is the most popular drink on the Dutch Bros menu and comes iced or hot, according to the company website.

The electric berry energy drink as a combination of lime and blue raspberry syrup that’s served iced or blended. “Unlock a new level of flavor by adding sweet cream, poppin’ boba or a flavor float,” the menu reads.

The shark attack energy drink is a blend of blue raspberry, coconut and lime with a pomegranate float that’s served iced or blended, according to the menu.

“If you download our app, which is basically our reward system, it has a menu and a list of everything that we have and what comes in the drinks,” Briggs said. “And then when you download that app, you can get points every time you buy a coffee. So then you start to get free ones.”

‘Finally coming true’

For Briggs, Dutch Bros is more than a workplace. It’s a family not only of coworkers but of customers, she said.

Briggs was recently in Warner Robins for a hiring event.

“Being in the area and seeing the shop under construction and being built, it finally started to feel like a dream I’ve had for a long time is finally coming true,” she said.

Dutch Bros was founded in 1992 by brothers Dane and Travis Boersma who started with a pushcart serving espresso along the railroad tracks in downtown Grants Pass, Oregon, where the company is headquartered.

Potential for expansion

Today, Dutch Bros has 1,000 locations and counting across 18 states, with the potential for additional shops in Middle Georgia.

“I am unsure at this time how many locations they will put in Warner Robins,” Briggs said. “However, usually when we start a new city, we usually like to shoot for four to five.

“There’s definitely potential for expansion, and that could go from Warner Robins to Macon to further north. Where specifically, I’m not sure. My offer was called Covington/Warner Robins. So, anywhere from Warner Robins to Covington, there could be potential expansion.”

This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 6:00 AM.