Dutch Bros faces a Des Moines drive-thru hurdle
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Dutch Bros opened its first Des Moines location on Friday. Photo: Jason Clayworth/Axios
A Dutch Bros coffee shop proposed for a downtown Des Moines site would face similar zoning hurdles that city leaders waived this month for Hyper Energy Bar.
Why it matters: The proposal will test whether Des Moines’ exceptions for Hyper were a one-off — or a precedent for more downtown drive-thrus.
Driving the news: A property-holding LLC linked to Des Moines developer Tim Rypma has submitted site plan documents for a proposed Dutch Bros to be built on a surface parking lot at 175 SW 9th St.
- That’s part of a cluster of several properties, including the recently redeveloped Carpenter Paper Warehouse and the Lortex building, both of which Rypma is connected to and plans to redevelop.
Context: The site is also near a proposed $42 million commercial and apartment complex on a parking lot previously owned by Wells Fargo Properties.
State of play: The Dutch Bros site would need exceptions for a drive-thru, surface parking, setbacks, frontage and a one-story building in an area where multiple stories are typically required.
- The plans will begin staff review soon, Des Moines’ Development Services team said in an unattributed statement to Axios.
Catch up quick: The City Council voted 6-1 on Aug. 3 to approve Hyper’s downtown project after Plan and Zoning had denied it.
- Council Member Rob Barron opposed the project, citing concerns about setting a precedent for other downtown drive-thrus.
Yes, but: Other council members stressed Hyper’s unusually constrained site and said future proposals would be reviewed separately.
Zoom in: Hyper is the first drive-thru approved west of the Des Moines River under the current downtown zoning standards.
- The requested exceptions for a Dutch Bros will be evaluated independently based on the property’s characteristics, DSM’s development team said in its statement to Axios.
The big picture: Some cities are moving in the opposite direction, the New York Times reports.
- Culver City, California, is considering a permanent ban to achieve goals for safer, more walkable and bikable streets.
Meanwhile, Dutch Bros’ first DSM store, at 4800 SE 14th St., opens Friday.
- It has a drive-thru, like other restaurants in that part of the city.
What we’re watching: Whether more businesses seek exceptions to downtown’s zoning rules for drive-thrus.