DUTCH BROS COFFEE, WHATABURGER EN ROUTE
The banda music was blaring, and the framing was going up fast.
Indeed, work continued at a very brisk pace earlier the week at the site of the new Dutch Bros Coffee, located at 2345 N. Columbia St., previously the location of the “BB&T northside branch.” Roughly 100 feet away, meanwhile, a second construction crew was preparing to frame the new Milledgeville Whataburger location.
Based on the foundations, the Whataburger building will be noticeably larger than Dutch Bros.
Once completed, the configuration of Dutch Bros and Whataburger will look remarkably similar to the property across Dunlap Road, which is home to Chipotle, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Panda Express. Fast food properties seemingly become narrower with each passing year.
Circle K was the first company to eye the property, and the company was moving forward with a new convenience store back in 2024. After negative feedback from the public and concerns about traffic, however, the Milledgeville City Council voted against rezoning the property, which eliminated Circle K. An average of 38,100 vehicles pass through that stretch of North Columbia Street daily, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation’s most recent average daily traffic count.
Although Dutch Bros is newer to Georgia, it recently opened its 1,000th location, making it the third-largest coffee chain in the country, albeit a distant third.
Starbucks and Dunkin have roughly 17,000 and 10,000 locations, respectively. The first Georgia Dutch Bros opened on Watson Boulevard in Warner Robins in July 2025, and seven more have followed in short order, mostly in metro Atlanta. Dutch Bros is based in Oregon, and the very first location opened in Grants Pass, Oregon, in 1992.
In terms of the menu, Dutch Bros isn’t exactly diabetic-friendly, and the sugary drink selection is expansive. The drink categories are Protein Coffees, Blended Freezes, Coffee Classic, Dutch BrosRebel Energy Drinks, Lemonades, Teas, Chai Lattes, Shakes, Hot Cocoas, Smoothies and Sparkling Sodas.
In terms of the snacks selection, there are four – the Chocolate Chip Muffin Top, the Lemon Poppyseed Muffin Top, the Orange Cranberry Muffin Top and the Granola Bar.
Then, there’s Whataburger, which has a cult-like following in its native Texas.
Whataburger, however, didn’t enter Georgia until 2022. The Peach State currently has about three dozen Whataburger locations, including one in nearby Eatonton.
Whataburger is somewhat similar to Five Guys, in terms of the “craft burger” concept, although Whataburger is not quite as expensive as Five Guys. Between its four different bun options, 11 sauces, condiments and add-ons, Whataburger offers “36,000 different customizable combinations,” according to its website.