Dutch Bros Coffee coming to long vacant property in Arlington Heights

Dutch Bros Coffee — the West Coast java chain making inroads in the Midwest — will anchor the redevelopment of a long-vacant property in the heart of Arlington Heights.

The drive-through coffee shop — particularly popular with Gen Z — is among the new quick-service restaurants and retailers planned for the former Pep Boys and Suburban Trim & Glass sites at 375-425 E. Rand Road.

Village trustees Tuesday night granted a series of approvals for the project, including rezoning and special use permits for the restaurants.

Businesses proposed for a quasi-new construction, multi-tenant retail building — which will repurpose about two-thirds of the old Pep Boys structure — is Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, Paris Baguette and Old National Bank. Two other spaces are still unleased. The other third of the building will be torn down to make way for two drive-through lanes for the bank, plans show.

Dutch Bros’ neighbor along Rand Road on an outlot pad to the northwest was said to be a Wendy’s fast food restaurant with drive-through, but that lease deal fell through, officials said.

The coffee shop’s 2027 opening in Arlington Heights will follow other new stores in the suburbs, including in nearby Buffalo Grove at The Clove mixed-used development, where some camped out overnight to be among those first in line for the first brew at 5 a.m. July 29.

The first suburban location came to Melrose Park in May. Other shops are under construction in Elk Grove Village, Crystal Lake and New Lenox.

Deerfield-based Core Acquisitions, which is developing the 2.79-acre Arlington Heights site, cited the Chicago Bears’ possible relocation to town in helping attract Dutch Bros and other retailers.

So, too, were the businesses lured by the heavy traffic volumes along three major arterials that border the triangle-shaped property in the center of town: Rand Road sees some 24,000 vehicles per day, while Arlington Heights Road and Palatine Road have another 60,000 vehicles daily.

“Dutch Bros Coffee identified this site to capitalize on high-volume morning and afternoon traffic patterns along Rand Road, providing convenient drive-thru access for commuters and residents,” wrote Adam Firsel, the developer and manager of the associated CW Arlington Holdings LLC, in his project proposal.

But exacerbating traffic was also cause for concern for some village board members worried that the long lines for coffee, energy drinks and other blended beverages seen at the Buffalo Grove opening could come to Arlington Heights.

The operator of the Buffalo Grove shop said while there is a traffic control and management plan in place for store openings — employing drink runners, if needed — shops eventually see traffic drop by 50%.

Luay Aboona of traffic consultant KLOA agreed the triangle site is highly trafficked and gets especially busy at certain times of day. But Dutch Bros is “more of a convenience stop” during rush hour, as opposed to a destination locale, he said.

When it opens, hours are planned from 5 a.m. to midnight.