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Dutch Bros Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 12 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 4 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter revenue rose 29%: Total revenues were $443.6 million against $342.8 million a year earlier. Management attributed the topline growth to higher transactions and customer response to the value proposition. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 48.8%: Adjusted EBITDA was $72.6 million, a 16.4% margin against 14.2% a year earlier. Management said adjusted EBITDA growth outpaced revenue growth. Source
  • Systemwide same shop sales up 7.7%: Systemwide same shop sales rose 7.7% with transactions up 5.4%. Company-operated same shop sales rose 9.7% with transactions up 7.6%. Source
  • Company-operated contribution margin declined: Company-operated shops contribution was $113.1 million, a 27.6% margin against 28.9%. Full-year contribution was $436.6 million, a 28.9% margin against 29.7%. Source
  • Beverage and packaging share rose: Beverage, food and packaging was 27.0% of company-operated revenue in the quarter, against 25.4%. For 2025 it was 25.9% against 25.5%. Source
  • Adjusted SG&A fell to 14.7%: Adjusted SG&A was $65.4 million, 14.7% of revenue, against $64.4 million and 18.8%. Full-year adjusted SG&A was 14.4% of revenue against 15.8%. Source
  • Systemwide AUV reached $2.1 million: Systemwide AUV was $2.115 million against $2.018 million, and company-operated AUV was $2.061 million against $1.933 million, on trailing twelve-month sales. Source

“In the fourth quarter, we delivered outstanding revenue growth of 29%, system same shop sales growth of 7.7%, and company-operated same shop sales growth of 9.7%.”

Christine Barone, Chief Executive Officer and President

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Total revenues Source2026between approximately $2 billion and $2.03 billionNew
Same shop sales growth Source20263% to 5%New
Adjusted EBITDA Source2026between $355 million and $365 millionNew
Capital expenditures Source2026between $270 million and $290 millionNew
Total system shop openings Source2026at least 181Raised from approximately 175

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: The 2026 shop-opening figure is higher than the target given in the prior quarter's release. Source
  • New guidance: The prior release gave only a 2026 shop-opening target; this release adds 2026 revenue, same shop sales, adjusted EBITDA and capital expenditure guidance. Source
  • New: The company expanded its footprint into seven contiguous states. Source

Fourth-quarter and full-year results

  • Fourth-quarter revenue rose 29%: Total revenues were $443.6 million against $342.8 million a year earlier. Management attributed the topline growth to higher transactions and customer response to the value proposition. Source
  • Net income and diluted EPS rose: Quarterly net income was $29.2 million against $6.4 million. Net income attributable to Dutch Bros Inc. was $21.4 million against $3.6 million, and diluted EPS was $0.17 against $0.03. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 48.8%: Adjusted EBITDA was $72.6 million, a 16.4% margin against 14.2% a year earlier. Management said adjusted EBITDA growth outpaced revenue growth. Source
  • Full-year revenue and profit grew: Full-year revenue was $1.64 billion against $1.28 billion, net income $117.3 million against $66.5 million, and diluted EPS $0.64 against $0.34. Adjusted EBITDA was $302.6 million, up 31.4%. Source

Same shop sales and transactions

  • Systemwide same shop sales up 7.7%: Systemwide same shop sales rose 7.7% with transactions up 5.4%. Company-operated same shop sales rose 9.7% with transactions up 7.6%. Source
  • Full-year same shop sales up 5.6%: For 2025, systemwide same shop sales rose 5.6% with transactions up 3.2%. Company-operated same shop sales rose 7.4% with transactions up 5.4%. Source
  • Nineteenth consecutive year of growth: The release headline counts 2025 as the 19th consecutive year of positive same shop sales growth. Source
  • Systemwide sales reached $2.22 billion: Systemwide sales were $585.7 million in the quarter against $476.3 million, and $2.22 billion for the year against $1.82 billion. Source

“We also saw exceptional adjusted EBITDA growth of 49%, which significantly outpaced topline momentum and enabled continued investment in our people and the initiatives driving our growth.”

Christine Barone, Chief Executive Officer and President

Company-operated and franchising segments

  • Company-operated contribution margin declined: Company-operated shops contribution was $113.1 million, a 27.6% margin against 28.9%. Full-year contribution was $436.6 million, a 28.9% margin against 29.7%. Source
  • Company-operated revenue and gross profit rose: Company-operated shops revenue was $409.6 million against $314.2 million. Gross profit was $83.9 million, 20.5% of revenue, against $67.3 million and 21.4%. Source
  • Franchising revenue and contribution rose: Franchising and other revenue was $34.0 million against $28.6 million, with segment contribution of $24.6 million against $22.2 million. Source

Products, customers and ticket

  • Dutch Rewards share of transactions rose: Dutch Rewards accounted for 73% of transactions in the quarter against 71%, and 72% for 2025 against 68%. Source
  • Transactions drove quarterly revenue growth: Management attributed quarterly revenue growth to transaction increases and a value proposition its customers responded to. Source
  • Average ticket growth was lower: Average ticket rose 2.3% systemwide and 2.1% in company-operated shops in the quarter, against 4.6% and 4.3% a year earlier. Full-year systemwide ticket rose 2.4% against 5.4%. Source

“Our confidence in delivering our goal of 2,029 shops in 2029 has never been higher, as we expanded our footprint into seven contiguous states while delivering record AUVs of $2.1 million in 2025.”

Josh Guenser, Chief Financial Officer

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Beverage and packaging share rose: Beverage, food and packaging was 27.0% of company-operated revenue in the quarter, against 25.4%. For 2025 it was 25.9% against 25.5%. Source
  • Labor share of revenue declined: Labor costs were 26.2% of company-operated revenue against 27.1%. Occupancy and other costs were 17.2% against 17.5%. Source
  • Pre-opening costs rose sharply: Pre-opening costs were $8.3 million, 2.0% of company-operated revenue, against $3.6 million and 1.1%. Full-year pre-opening costs were $25.4 million against $15.1 million. Source
  • Adjusted SG&A fell to 14.7%: Adjusted SG&A was $65.4 million, 14.7% of revenue, against $64.4 million and 18.8%. Full-year adjusted SG&A was 14.4% of revenue against 15.8%. Source

Shop openings and unit volumes

  • Fourth-quarter shop openings: The company opened 55 shops in the quarter, 52 of them company-operated and three franchised. Source
  • Shop base reached 1,136: Shop count was 1,136 at year-end, with 811 company-operated and 325 franchised shops, up from 982 a year earlier. Source
  • Systemwide AUV reached $2.1 million: Systemwide AUV was $2.115 million against $2.018 million, and company-operated AUV was $2.061 million against $1.933 million, on trailing twelve-month sales. Source

Cash, capital and shareholder items

  • Operating cash flow rose: Net cash from operating activities was $295.5 million against $246.4 million. Investing outflows were $241.1 million against $212.1 million, and financing outflows were $78.4 million against a $125.4 million inflow. Source
  • Cash balance ended lower: Cash and equivalents ended the year at $269.4 million against $293.4 million, a net decrease of $24.0 million. Source
  • Credit facility refinanced in May: The company refinanced its credit facility in May 2025, and $2.0 million of related costs were excluded from adjusted EBITDA. Long-term debt, net of current portion, was $196.3 million against $219.8 million. Source
  • Tax receivable liability rose: The tax receivable agreements liability was $813.4 million, against $627.8 million a year earlier. Remeasurement produced a $4.8 million gain in the quarter, excluded from adjusted EBITDA. Source
  • Fully exchanged share count reported: Diluted weighted-average Class A and D shares were 127.4 million in the quarter, against 115.2 million. Adjusted fully exchanged diluted shares were 177.9 million. Source

Strategy, leadership and footprint

  • Operating playbook credited for scale: Barone described the company's playbook of human connection, innovation and field leadership as the engine for scaling the business. Source
  • Organization costs excluded from adjusted results: Organization realignment and restructuring costs were $8.2 million for 2025 and are excluded from adjusted measures. The company does not expect such costs to recur in the foreseeable future. Source
  • Leadership named in both releases: Christine Barone is named as Chief Executive Officer and President, and Josh Guenser as Chief Financial Officer, in both releases. Source

Coming up, as management said on 12 February 2026

  • Back-office relocation through first half 2026: Remaining back-office operations are to move to the new Phoenix, Arizona corporate headquarters, with the activities expected to run through the first half of 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Comparable sales SourceSystemwide same shop sales +7.7% (Q4), +5.6% (2025); company-operated +9.7% (Q4), +7.4% (2025)
Traffic (transactions) SourceSystemwide transactions +5.4% (Q4), +3.2% (2025); company-operated +7.6% (Q4), +5.4% (2025)
Average ticket SourceSystemwide ticket +2.3% (Q4), +2.4% (2025)
Inventory Source$48.9 million at December 31, 2025, against $36.5 million
Store openings and closings Source55 openings in Q4 (52 company-operated); 154 in 2025 (141 company-operated); closings not reported
Gross margin SourceCompany-operated gross margin 20.5% (Q4) against 21.4%; 21.9% (2025) against 22.3%

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Management said continued elevated coffee costs are included in the 2026 adjusted EBITDA estimate, partly offset by Adjusted SG&A leverage. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The prior release targeted 160 openings for 2025. This release reports 154 openings in 2025, of which 141 were company-operated, across 22 states.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.