Starbucks execs backed off 2016 projections this month that the company would open 1,000 higher end Reserve coffee bars, and instead offered 5 or 10 in a trial of the concept. But two upstart brands – Scooter’s Coffee and Dutch Bros Coffee – have made public relatively bold expansion plans of their own.

Recently surpassing the 200-unit mark, Scooter’s Coffee has bigger plans – 1,000 locations by 2023. That pronouncement ups the ante on 2017 company projections that would have seen Scooter’s open its 500^th store somewhere in the 2023 to 2025 range. As our graphic shows, the company has averaged 30 units a year for the last 3 years, so the pace will need to quicken. An early 2018 private equity infusion should help (McCarthy Capital). The company has two models to offer franchisees – a drive thru unit (500 sq. ft.) and a larger coffee house plan (1,600-1,800 sq. ft.).

Dutch Bros Coffee, with a new President Joth Ricci onboard and working closely with CEO Travis Boersma, currently sit on 320 stores and announced its intention to grow to 800 in the next 5 years. Working in the company’s favor is its history of steady, measured growth combined with a fall 2018 private equity investment (TSG Consumer Partners) that will supply the cash to ramp up efforts. The company is 95% franchised yet has a stable base of 20 company-owned outlets. Standard footprint for the free-standing (drive thru) building is 375 to 400 sq. ft.