The 15th Central Valley Dutch Bros celebrated its ribbon cutting on Jan. 4. Photo via RPMPR

Earlier this month several excited Kerman residents gathered on a cold and windy morning around the town’s first Dutch Bros Coffee location for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Kerman location, opened Jan. 4, marks the 15th spot in the Central Valley along with locations in Fresno, Clovis, Madera and Sanger under the leadership of franchise owners Brent and Genesis Wilson.

Both shared their excitement about expanding into one of the Central Valley’s fastest growing communities.

“Getting this site built in Kerman compared to the other locations has been really good,” said Genesis, the chief operating officer of Dutch Bros Coffee. “We have had an amazing reception here from the community, and we’re really excited to have it finally open,”

Kerman Mayor Maria Pacheco humorously shared her enthusiasm for the popular coffee chain opening during her term.

“My children think I’m some kind of superhero because this was the one thing they asked from me,” Pacheco said about bringing the location to town

She also shared how the opening of Dutch Bros will make her job easier.

“I have had nothing but phone calls, emails and inquiries. Every time I go to Walmart or Tony’s Market, somebody is tapping me on the shoulder, ‘Hey, when is Dutch Bros going to open,’” she laughed. “Hopefully, my workload, questions, and emails come down a little bit now that it’s open, so I’m super excited about that.”

The Kerman location will be the first Dutch Bros to be part of a full retail center also developed by the Wilsons — the 6,742 square-foot Kerman Marketplace.

“This milestone marks not only our debut in the Kerman community but also the beginning of a vibrant new retail destination,” Genesis said in a news release. “We’re proud to bring 40 new jobs to the area and look forward to serving this incredible community.”

One of the biggest challenges for Trayla Properties, the commercial development company owned and operated by Brent and Genesis, was navigating the COVID-19 pandemic when several Kerman city offices shut down.

West Coast Sourdough and United Health Centers will also be moving into the Kerman Marketplace retail center.

According to Brent, the CEO of Dutch Bros Coffee, the goal is to have both West Coast Sourdough and United Health Centers ready to go by the end of 2025.

Dutch Bros will also open new locations in Fresno at Kings Canyon Road and Phillip Street, as well as First Street and Nees Avenue.