This past week, a couple of Sonoma State University students were able to serve complimentary coffee to Sonoma County evacuees and firefighters battling the Kincade fire. These students currently work at Dutch Bros Coffee and teamed with the owner in order to serve those who were evacuating and serving the county.
Dutch Bros Coffee, located in Santa Rosa, CA, was one of the very few businesses still open and staffed during the fires. The coffee shop owns a mobile coffee truck that is often used for catering events and private parties, however, when the news of the fire spread, employees were eager to help anyone they could in any way possible.
“It was important for us to show firefighters that we appreciate their service and evacuees that we supported them,” says Brady Benner, a fourth-year Sonoma State student, and manager at Dutch Bros Coffee, “My employees were excited to be able to go out on the mobile truck and just simply serve. We wanted to help in whatever way we could, even if that was just a cup of coffee, a smile, or a conversation.”
The coffee truck was first taken to the Healdsburg evacuation center the day after the Kincade fire broke out. At the center, Dutch Bros Coffee employees served men, women, and children who were fearful that they may lose their homes.
“It was honestly traumatizing for some people there,” says fourth-year student and Dutch Bros employee, Nathan Bowyer, “After the fires two years ago, and the destruction that came with those, people were really shaken up this time. It was nice to be able to make them smile or give them a little distraction with some good conversation and free coffee.”
After the Kincade fire spread and entered into Healdsburg and Windsor, the Dutch Bros Coffee mobile truck moved to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds and Sheriffs Office, both located in Santa Rosa. There, the coffee truck employees were able to serve many firefighters helping with evacuations.
“None of us could even imagine how exhausting, both mentally and physically, it would be to fight fires in dangerous conditions through the night,” says Bowyer, “With limited to no businesses, especially coffee shops open in the area, it felt good to provide fresh caffeinated drinks to those exhausted from serving us.”
With the coffee shop and the truck both staffed and serving coffee, resources and goods began to run short for Dutch Bros Santa Rosa only a few days in. Headquarters of Dutch Bros Coffee, based in Oregon, caught word that this was happening and sent the Santa Rosa shop complimentary shipment to keep them serving those around them.
“Headquarters saw that we were in need just like we saw that evacuees and firefighters were in need,” says Benner, “It takes a village. If any of us took anything away from these fires is that despite the fear and destruction, communities from all over the place truly came together to support one another in every possible way.”
