Dutch Bros vs Starbucks:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Starbucks had more branded searches than Dutch Bros among coffee chains in the United States. Starbucks had about 13.6 million branded searches, while Dutch Bros had 1.8 million. Starbucks made up 48.1% of all coffee chain searches we track, and Dutch Bros accounted for 6.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about coffee chains, both Dutch Bros and Starbucks appeared in all three answers. Starbucks was mentioned before Dutch Bros in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Starbucks, about 7 searches for every 1 for Dutch Bros
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Starbucks, named ahead of Dutch Bros in every answer
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Top coffee chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, both Dutch Bros and Starbucks showed up in all three answers. Starbucks was listed before Dutch Bros in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Starbucks1st
Dunkin'2nd
Peet's Coffee3rd
Dutch Bros4th
Caribou Coffee5th
Tim Hortons–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Starbucks3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Dunkin'3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Dutch Bros3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Peet's Coffee3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Caribou Coffee1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Tim Hortons0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
See every answer about coffee chains
3 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which coffee chain is best in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best coffee chains in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best US coffee chain for iced coffee?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“coffee shops”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“coffee shop”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.
Is Dutch Bros or Starbucks more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Dutch Bros and Starbucks by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six coffee chains we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Starbucks, Dutch Bros. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Starbucks | Dunkin' | Dutch Bros | Tim Hortons | Caribou Coffee | Peet's Coffee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 64.4% | 26.4% | 4.7% | 2.1% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 62.9% | 25.8% | 6.9% | 2.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 63.7% | 26.2% | 5.7% | 2.1% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 57.7% | 28.9% | 7.8% | 2.8% | 1.3% | 1.6% |
| Feb 2026 | 49.1% | 36.9% | 8.1% | 3% | 1.3% | 1.6% |
| Mar 2026 | 45.6% | 38.8% | 9.2% | 3.4% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 42.6% | 41.5% | 8.6% | 3.8% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| May 2026 | 39.7% | 44.7% | 8% | 3.6% | 2% | 2% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.9% | 44.9% | 8% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 39.9% | 44.9% | 8% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.6% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.3% | 42.1% | 7.1% | 3.9% | 1.8% | 1.8% |
| Sep 2026 | 48.1% | 38.3% | 6.5% | 3.5% | 1.9% | 1.6% |
How has the Dutch Bros and Starbucks comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Starbucks was ahead of Dutch Bros in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Dutch Bros’ share of searches among coffee chains in the United States moved from 4.7% to 6.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.2M to 1.8M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Starbucks’ share of searches among coffee chains in the United States moved from 64.4% to 48.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 30.4M to 13.6M.
How did search popularity change for United States coffee chains in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Starbucks gained share of searches among coffee chains in the United States, from 43.3% to 48.1%.
In September 2026, Dutch Bros lost share of searches among coffee chains in the United States, from 7.1% to 6.5%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Dutch Bros’ and Starbucks’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Dutch Bros
1 branded search term
- dutch bros
Starbucks
1 branded search term
- starbucks
Other head-to-heads among coffee chains
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