Working at Dutch Bros vs. Starbucks vs. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf: Which is a better place to work?

Many people have opened their businesses after a stint at Dutch Bros., Starbucks, or The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL), while others found the perfect career path there. All year long, these three leading companies have openings at various levels. I’ve been contemplating working at a coffee shop for some time. I intend to build some retail experience before getting my place. So, I did some research and came up with this post to help you know how it works for any of them. Read on to get some crucial information about how these companies are as employers.

What are the differences between working at Dutch Bros Vs. Starbucks vs. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf?

Features	Dutch Bros	Starbucks	The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Work-Life Balance	Dutch Bros employees work an average of 6 to 8 hours a day.   Have the least work hours per day	More than 84 percent of Starbucks employees work 8 hours or less, and 5 percent more than twelve hours.   Most employees work regular hours.	About 86 percent of CBTL employees work 8 hours or less, while 14 percent work more than twelve hours.   Have the highest number of employees working long hours
Career opportunities	Opportunities available in the shops or at HQ in Management, Marketing, Finance   HR or IT Departments. Centralized recruitment with opportunities outside the local area	Has many part-time and full-time career opportunities. You can work in the retail stores, corporate offices, manufacturing, and distribution or at the Starbucks Reserve and Princi kitchen.   Has the most opportunities	Opportunities in independently hiring retail stores and at HQ.   Career opportunities are less centralized and limited to locations.
Compensations and employee benefits	The average salary ranges from $23,258 to $145,799 per annum. Benefits include Education Benefits Program, a monthly apparel package, paid volunteer hours, Employee discounts, and Development Opportunities.   Lowest benefits	Salary ranges from $25,000 to $191, 804 per annum. Common benefits include financial perks: such as employee discount and stock purchase plan; health, dental, and vision insurance, tuition reimbursement, paid time off, and a retirement plan.   Best Benefits	Salary ranges from $18,000 to $214,438 per annum. Benefits include medical insurance, team member discount, flexible uniforms, 24-hour fitness discount, life assistance program, flexible schedule, working advantage discount program, retirement plan, and leave benefits.   Fair benefits
Positive business outlook	60 percent of the employees have a positive business outlook.   High positive business outlook	76 percent have a positive business outlook for the Company.   Highest positive business outlook	Only 39 percent of the employees have a positive business outlook for their employer.   Lowest business outlook
Culture and values	Dutch Bros’ culture is about connections with their people, employees, or customers. The Company values sustainability, philanthropy, diversity, inclusion, and equity.   Highly esteemed culture and values.	Starbucks endeavors to maintain a culture where diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility are respected and valued.   Culture and values scored highly by employees.	CBTL scores well on Teamwork. Employees state they welcome the supportive environment, location and time flexibility, and the feeling of personal appreciation.   Lacking on gender equity and diversity front.
Job security and advancement	Employees rate the possibility for career development at 3.3 out of a possible 5. The Company is said to prefer internal promotions over new hires.   Moderate job security and advancement	Employees rate career advancement at the Company a 3.5 out of 5   Has a higher chance at staying on and career advancement at Starbucks	Employees view the promotion policy as informal, leading to a good number of feeling stagnated. They rate career advancement at 3.3 out of 5.   Chances for job security and advancement are unequal for different demographics.
CEO approval	Dutch Bros CEO Travis Boersma has a staff approval rate of 89 percent.   Highest approval	Howard Schultz of Starbucks has a 79 percent approval rating from the employees.   High approval rating	CBTL CEO, John Fuller, has a 69 percent approval rating.   The lowest CEO approval rating
Job Postings	Has about 400 postings on their website career page   Has fewer postings	Currently has over 20,000 postings on its website and other Job sites.   Has the most job postings	Has about 400 postings. Fill in an application form for a position directly on their website.   Has comparatively fewer postings
Salaries	Most salaries are the same as the national average	Most salaries are slightly higher than the national average	Most salaries are below the national average

Dutch Bros. vs. Starbucks vs. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf: How does working there compare?

Work-Life Balance

The majority of Dutch Bros employees work 6 to 8-hour shifts per day. About 84 percent of Starbucks employees work 8 hours or less, while about 5 percent have workdays longer than twelve hours. This means most Starbucks employees get sufficient rest.

Meanwhile, about 86 percent of CBTL employees work 8 hours or less, while 14 percent have work days that are longer than twelve hours. This means a higher proportion of employees here are likely to feel burned out.

Dutch brothers win regarding work-life balance because they work the shortest hours and can choose to spend the rest of their time pursuing other interests.

Career opportunities

At Starbucks, you can apply for a part-time or full-time position. You can work in a retail store, corporate offices, manufacturing, and distribution, or the Starbucks Reserve and Princi kitchens. Career advancement is possible within the organization.

On the other hand, CBTL allows each retail store to independently hire and manage its own full-time and part-time team members. To apply, visit the Careers section on the Company’s website.

Dutch Bros will also post open positions on their websites, and you can typically find jobs in IT, finance, marketing, and operations in the shop or at HQ.

Starbucks wins in this category for having a better structure and a wider scope of career opportunities compared to the other two companies.

Compensations and employee benefits

Dutch Bros salary average ranges from $23,258 per year for a Barista to $145,799 per year for a franchise manager. In addition, the Company has an education benefit program, a monthly apparel package, paid volunteer hours, employee discounts, and development opportunities.

At Starbucks, a crew member’s average salary ranges from about $25,000 per year to $191,804 per year for a resource manager. Common benefits include financial perks such as an employee discount and stock purchase plan; health, dental, and vision insurance; tuition reimbursement; paid time off; and a retirement plan.

CBTL’s average salary ranges from around $18,000 per year for supervisors to $214,438 per year for sales directors. Common benefits include the referral bonus program, medical insurance, team member discount, flexible uniforms, 24-hour fitness discount, life assistance program, flexible schedule, working advantage discount program, retirement plan, and leave benefits.

Of the three companies, Starbucks wins for having the lowest average salary and the best benefits package. Dutch Bros. comes last for having the fewest benefits and no insurance for its employees.

Positive business outlook

Dutch Bros is expected to open around 150 shops in 2023, in addition to a similar number in 2022. 60 percent of the employees are said to have a positive business outlook.

According to Glassdoor, 76 percent of Starbucks employees have a positive business outlook for their employer. Starbucks’ outlook is rated “B” by employees when responding to questions about what they think about the 3future success of the Company.

By comparison, at CBTL, only 39 percent of the employees have a positive business outlook for their employer. When they were given the same questions as the Starbucks staff, the employees’ outlook for the Company’s future was rated as “D+.”

Although employees at Dutch Bros. see the Company’s expansion favorably, Starbucks is the clear winner when it comes to a positive business outlook. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf seem to have the worst prospects.

Culture and values

CBTL scores well on Teamwork and is in the top 40 percent of similarly sized companies. Employees state they welcome the supportive environment, location and time flexibility, and feeling of personal appreciation. However, CBTL does not do as well in the gender or diversity parameters.

The culture at Dutch Bros is about connections with people, be they employees or customers. The Company values sustainability, philanthropy, diversity, inclusion, and equity to drive toward making a difference. Employees like the feeling of family, personal appreciation, and a supportive environment.

Starbucks also endeavors to maintain a culture where diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility are respected and valued. Employees score the Company at 75 percent across different cultural categories, making the Company a top diversity scorer.

It’s a tie between the three companies. Whereas Starbucks scores highly on diversity and inclusion, Dutch Bros. and CBTL are big on philanthropy, and employees value the lifelong ties they make even after moving away from the companies.

Job security and advancement

At Dutch Bros., staff rate career development at 3.3 out of 5. The Company is said to prefer internal promotions over new hires. Employees say they can easily develop their skills and have access to training options. However, they do not think a promotion is easy, and the majority say their managers don’t seem to care about their career growth.

Starbucks’ employees are more optimistic about their chances of advancement within the Company. The majority respond in the affirmative when asked if the Company provides them with meaningful opportunities for career growth. According to the job site Indeed, Starbucks scores 3.5 out of 5 in this.

Meanwhile, at CBTL, employees view the promotion policy as informal, leading to a good number feeling stagnated. The rating is 3.3 out of 5 when it comes to career advancement.

Starbucks wins for having more meaningful career growth opportunities for their staff compared to the other two companies.

CEO approval

According to Glassdoor reviews, Dutch Bros CEO Travis Boersma has a staff approval rate of 89 percent, Howard Schultz of Starbucks has 79 percent, and CBTL CEO John Fuller has an average of 69 percent.

Dutch Bros’ CEO has the highest approval rating by employees, making it the winner in this category.

Job Postings

Ready to start your career at Starbucks? There are over 20,000 postings currently available. Both CBTL and Dutch Bros. have about 400 positions each.

Both Starbucks and Dutch Bros post on their websites’ career pages, while you can fill out an application form for a position at CBTL directly on the website. Job sites such as Indeed also carry job ads for all three.

Starbucks wins for having close to 20,000 postings compared to about 400 postings each for Dutch Bros and CBTL

Salaries

Dutch Bros	Starbucks	The Coffee Bean and Tea leaf
Barista         $10.11 /hr	Barista  $15.11/hr	Barista                $13.61/hr
10 salaries	3,129 salaries	213 salaries
Shift leader          $10.30/hr	Shift manager $19.03/hr	Shift manager $16.25/hr
4 salaries	1,085 salaries	135 salaries
Shift manager $20,000	Team Supervisor  $23,821	Supervisor $13.89/hr
1 salary	3 salaries	6 salaries
Regional manager      $63,945	General manager $58,968	General manager       $54,014
2 salaries	38 salaries	12 salaries
Store manager            $39,810	Store manager  $65,083	Store manager      $24.64/hr
5 salaries	176 salaries	2 salaries

In this category, Starbucks wins for paying better rates and salaries than Dutch Bros and CBTL in most job levels. 

Dutch Bros vs. Starbucks vs. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf—Employee Reviews

Below are sample reviews posted on Glassdoor and Indeed by current and former employees.

Dutch Bros. Employee Review

Former Employee-Assistant Manager- North Richland Hills, TX:  Good if upper management likes you.

Former Employee–Barista – Moscow, ID: “Good for learning.” Be careful, though; they try to sell a “family culture” to make you feel better about getting overworked and underpaid.

Former Employee-Barista/Shift Lead/Trainer – Nampa, ID: “Fun place to work with an awesome atmosphere.”

 Former Employee-Assistant Manager -Tempe, AZ: Toxic positivity. You’re not supposed to have a bad day at Dutch Bros. Everything you do must be positive, which is unrealistic for anyone. As a manager, I was held accountable for tasks that should have been assigned to someone with a higher pay grade and better benefits.

Current Employee- Barista-5724 W Bell Rd, Glendale, Az, 85308: “Truly a company focused on helping you grow if you actually listen.”

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf review

Current employee-Barista-Scottsdale, AZ Placeholder Job: I don’t recommend doing this job full-time, as the hours can be exhausting at times, particularly standing up for nearly 7 hours and 20 minutes.

Current Employee-Barista/Cashier – Thousand Oaks, CA- Love the coffee making. I love working at CBTL. The only problem is that there are occasionally people who backbite, but I guess that’s what you get working with teenagers or immature people.

Pros: free drinks, guaranteed breaks

Former Employee- Barista- Encino, CA –only stayed for the coworkers. My manager got burnt out the last holiday season, and everything was never the same again.

Anonymous-Fun team.

Former barista-No support when short-handed and slammed with orders

Former Employee Shift Manager- University of California, Riverside, CA, fun and productive workplace. Amazing and supportive supervisor. Always felt supported, understood, and recognized. I was able to juggle school and work.

Former Employee- Barista- South Luzon Upper management that is toxic, no overtime pay, especially during 8-hour shifts, and no holidays. We worked 10-16hrs per day but only got paid for 8hrs. Just heartbreaking and shocking…I’m glad I met some good people like my supervisor and co-baristas.

Starbucks Employee review 

Former Employee- Supervisor/Manager-Hattiesburg, MS: Fast-paced and exciting. I loved working at Starbucks; I loved the customers, and the team was great!

Pros: Lots of perks.

Cons: Breaks did not seem long enough.

Current Employee Barista – Fort Walton Beach, FL: The best coffee shop to work at. This Company will let you have what you need; the career opportunities are endless.

Former Employee-Shift Supervisor, Vista, CA: fast-paced but flexible for part-time work. You’ll be fine here if you enjoy fast-paced environments and understand the importance of deadlines. This job is ideal if you are in college or need part-time work. There are numerous opportunities to change stores and meet some new peers, as well as numerous opportunities for growth if you are willing to take the initiative.

 Current Employee-Barista – Frankfort, KY:  Paid well, but the work setting is awful. I’ve worked at Starbucks for nearly a year now, going from working daily to three times per week. My availability remains three days per week, but I’m now not getting scheduled.

 Current Employee-Store Manager – Colorado Springs, CO – All Day Coffee. Excellent benefits and pay that is above average. Very inclusive and concerned with your true self and your ability to express all ideas. So far, the only disadvantage I’ve encountered is rude customers. Especially when the circumstances do not call for it.

Final Verdict: So, which is a better place to work? – Dutch Bros vs. Starbucks vs. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Starbucks is better than Dutch Bros. and the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Company. It edges both out in compensation and employee benefits, a positive business outlook, career opportunities, job security, and advancement.

Dutch Bros. has a better work-life balance, is well appreciated for its culture and values, and the employees seem more satisfied with their salaries than Starbucks and the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Company. Despite these, Starbucks is still ahead in having a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. Starbucks’ structures offer a wider selection of careers and career advancement based on performance.

FAQ SECTION

Does Dutch Bros provide better employee benefits than Starbucks?

No, Dutch Bros does not provide better benefits compared to Starbucks. Starbucks has medical insurance, a stock purchase plan, tuition reimbursement, paid time off, and a retirement plan that is unmatched at Dutch Bros.

Does Dutch Bros value its customers more than Starbucks?

Dutch Bros and Starbucks value their customers, with Dutch Bros being reputed for excellent service, while Starbucks is known for its product quality and variety.

Which Company invests more in its employees between, Starbucks, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and Dutch Bros?

Starbucks invests more in its staff than The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Dutch Bros.

Which Company provides a better working environment between The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Dutch Bros, and Starbucks?

Starbucks provides a better working environment than The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Dutch Bros.

Which Company values its employees more between, Dutch Bros and Starbucks?

Both Dutch Bros and Starbucks value their employees to the same extent.

Which employees are likely to recommend their workplace to a friend, Starbucks, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, or Dutch Bros employees?

 Starbucks employees are more likely to recommend their workplace to a friend compared to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf or Dutch Bros. employees.

 Are Dutch Bros’ employees more satisfied with their salaries than Starbucks’?

Yes, Dutch Bros employees are more satisfied with their salaries than those at Starbucks.