Coming off a recent approval to open in Crystal Lake, drive-thru coffee shop Dutch Bros. now has its sights on opening in Algonquin.
Developers are looking to build a Dutch Bros. at 541 S. Randall Road next to Buona Beef. It would be the coffee chain’s second McHenry County location if approved.
The Oregon-based national coffeeshop chain has more than 1,000 locations across the country. Others are lined up elsewhere in the northern Illinois area, including Oswego.
One of the first northern Illinois locations will open in Crystal Lake after the City Council unanimously approved plans last month for the business to move into a former bank building off Route 14.
The plan for Algonquin is to construct a new building on a shared lot with Buona Beef with two drive-thru lanes and a walk-up window.
The plan has room for 30 stacked cars total with 21 parking spaces, Eric Pedersen of Keystone Planning and Design said. On average, customers get in and out of the business within 45 seconds, and about 80% of the sales are from drive-thru orders, he said.
“Overall, the parking still appears to be efficient for the uses,” village planner Stephanie Barajas said.
One issue the village staff brought up is if cars overflow onto Rolls Road, which “could cause a big safety concern,” Barajas said. The village does not allow car stacking on public roads like Rolls Road, which runs behind Buona and the proposed Dutch Bros.
The Algonquin Planning and Zoning Commission gave a unanimous recommendation for approval Monday. Developers will next go to the village’s Committee of the Whole.
Dutch Bros. may face steep competition, as other drive-thru-only coffeeshops have been recently built or approved by village boards, including the two 7 Brew locations in Algonquin and Crystal Lake and another Dunkin’ off Route 14 in Crystal Lake.
The Algonquin 7 Brew is less than half a mile down Randall Road.
“Are we creating a traffic jam, with the new coffeehouse next to McDonald’s and this one?” Commissioner Paul Sturznickel said.
But Community Development Director Patrick Knapp said local police don’t have concerns, and that “it’s rare” for 7 Brew traffic to block roads.
If approved, construction could start within a few months, depending on the permit approval process, Petersen said. Developers aim to complete the build in about four months and get “open by the end of this year,” he said.