New Fresno Dutch Bros. lifting business for nearby shops

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Dutch Bros. opened their newest location in northeast Fresno Friday, and it's stirring up business for a long-time donut shop.

Coffee and donuts never paired so well.

"Oh, we try and support all the local businesses out here," customer Natasha Reilly said. "Our neighborhood, we try and show up out there, so I think it's good."

Business is brewing at the coffee shop at Maple and Behymer.

"If you want a pizza, there's Me-N-Eds right here," Jacob Cantu with Dutch Bros. said. "If you want to get your nails done, it's right here, if you need gas there's gas. As long as one of us succeeds, we're all going to succeed."

The Country Club Plaza is now home to the fifth and newest location of Dutch Bros. The coffee chain is bringing fresh faces to the area, and they've also added parking and a community patio.

"We changed the format of our drive thru projection, so we did it on the opposite side of the businesses. So, we steer clear from all of their parking, and we don't disturb their regular customer base," Cantu said.

Java junkies aren't the only ones reaping the benefits.

"On Friday, it was crazy," Chen Lee Vong with Sprinkles Donuts said. "We were busy all day."

Lee Vong and his wife Sovanya opened Sprinkles Donuts in 2008. On a typical day, they make 600 to 700 donuts, but when Dutch Bros. opened Friday, they did five times that.

"Dutch Bros. has a lot of customers, a lot of them," Lee Vong said. "When they go there, they come here and buy my donuts."

With their storefront less than 500 feet away, they've added signage to make themselves more visible and are considering opening earlier to match Dutch Bros.' hours of operation.

For the grand opening, lines at Maple and Behymer formed at 8:30 p.m. the night before.

Proceeds from the more than 6,000 drinks made went straight to Valley Children's.