In recent years, the coffee chain market in the United States has shown a booming scene, with various brands accelerating their expansion pace, making market competition increasingly fierce.
The American chain coffee brand Dutch Bros achieved remarkable results in 2024, with a significant 33% increase in revenue and a total revenue of up to 1.28 billion US dollars (approximately 9.344 billion yuan). In the fourth quarter alone, its revenue reached 343 million US dollars (approximately 2.506 billion yuan), a year-on-year increase of 35%. Same store sales increased by 6.9%, and adjusted EBITDA for the quarter reached $49 million (approximately RMB 357 million), a growth rate of 41%. In terms of store expansion, Dutch Bros opened 151 new stores in 2024, and the total number of stores soared to 982. Its performance in new markets, especially in Florida, is extremely impressive. In the fourth quarter alone, 32 new stores were added, and the expansion speed is expected to accelerate in 2025, with plans to open 160 new stores. As of December 31, 2024, Dutch Bros has established 982 stores in 18 states, a year-on-year increase of 18.2% compared to 831 stores in 2023, including 670 direct stores and 312 franchised stores. In 2024, the company will add 128 directly operated stores and 23 franchised stores, demonstrating strong expansion momentum. In February 2025, Dutch Bros opened its 1000th store in Orlando, Florida, marking a significant milestone in its development journey.
Starbucks, as a giant in the coffee industry, continues to make efforts in the US market. As of FY2Q24, Starbucks has nearly 39000 stores worldwide, with over 17000 stores located in the United States, accounting for nearly 40% of the coffee market share. Starbucks has deeply rooted its unique “third space” concept in people’s hearts. By providing high-quality coffee, diverse customized products, and comfortable social environments, Starbucks has made its stores an ideal place for consumers to work, socialize, and relax, winning a large number of loyal fans. Starbucks has been constantly innovating its products, such as launching seasonal limited edition coffee drinks, actively expanding its online and offline integrated service model, optimizing mobile ordering and delivery services, and further consolidating its leading position in the market.
Dunkin ‘, known for its affordable route, has also established a foothold in the US market with its own characteristics, and the number of stores has exceeded 10000. Dunkin ‘mainly focuses on classic coffee, donuts, breakfast sandwiches and other products. Its simple product combination can efficiently meet the needs of consumers in fast-paced life, especially favored by young people who pursue cost-effectiveness and “working people”. Through long-term market cultivation, it has established a wide brand awareness and stable customer base.
International brands are also targeting the US market, with Luckin Coffee’s entry attracting much attention. On June 30, 2025, Luckin Coffee officially entered the US market by opening trial operations at two PICK UP pickup stores in New York, USA. These two stores are located in the heart of Manhattan, New York, in Midtown and Washington Square Park adjacent to New York University. The surrounding area is crowded with students, office workers, and tourists, and the demand for coffee consumption is not only dense, but also presents high requirements and high frequency characteristics. From the perspective of pricing strategy, the menu released by Luckin Coffee’s US app shows that beverage prices range from $3.45 (approximately 24.71 yuan) to $7.95 (approximately 56.94 yuan), which is approximately 20% lower than Starbucks’ pricing in the United States. Luckin Coffee has also localized and customized its menu, adding flavored cold extracts and raw coffee series drinks. The Rena Ice series has also launched innovative flavors such as Dreamy Strawberry and Mangye Sunrise. In terms of operation mode, Luckin Coffee adopts the efficient model of “online ordering+in store self pickup” in China. The APP integrates local mainstream payment methods such as Apple Pay and PayPal, and introduces a full set of intelligent devices. Employees can quickly complete beverage customization by scanning the code, which is in line with the fast-paced lifestyle of American consumers.
According to a report released by the World Coffee Portal, the United States has over 500 coffee chain brands with more than 42700 operating stores, and a current market size of $54 billion. According to data from Research and Markets, the compound annual growth rate of the US coffee market is 3.69% during the 2024-2029 forecast period. According to research firm Imarc Group, the size of the US coffee market is estimated to be $28 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $39.2 billion by 2033, with a compound annual growth rate of 3.69% from 2025 to 2033. With the continuous expansion of the market, various coffee chain brands are actively seizing market share, and competition methods are constantly emerging. In addition to competing in store quantity, product prices, and features, brands are also increasing investment in marketing promotion, digital services, supply chain optimization, and other areas. For example, some brands use social media for creative marketing and organize events such as coffee culture festivals to attract consumers; Some brands utilize big data analysis to analyze consumer preferences and achieve precision marketing and product innovation; Brands are also focusing on optimizing their supply chain, ensuring the quality of coffee beans while reducing costs and enhancing their competitiveness. In this fierce market competition, various coffee chain brands are striving to find differentiated competitive advantages in order to stand out in the fiercely competitive American coffee market, and consumers will enjoy more high-quality, diverse, and low-priced coffee products and services in this competition.
