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Dutch Bros Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 6 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 4 raised, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 30.8%: Total revenue was $464.4 million. Company-operated shops and franchising and other both contributed to the increase. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA up, margin lower: Adjusted EBITDA was $79.4 million, 17.1% of revenue, against 17.7% a year earlier. Source
  • Transactions drove same shop growth: Systemwide same shop transactions rose 5.1% and ticket rose 3.2%. Management cited a seventh consecutive quarter of transaction growth. Source
  • Labor ratio fell: Labor was 26.2% of company-operated shop revenue versus 27.4%. Labor costs were $112.3 million against $89.4 million. Source
  • Beverage and packaging costs rose: Beverage, food and packaging costs were 26.2% of shop revenue against 25.0%. In dollars they were $112.3 million against $81.4 million. Source
  • Operating cash flow more than doubled: Operating cash flow was $84.7 million versus $36.9 million. Cash and cash equivalents closed at $263.5 million. Source

“Our first quarter results reinforce that Dutch Bros continues to operate in a category of its own.”

Christine Barone, Chief Executive Officer and President of Dutch Bros

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Total revenues Sourcefull year 2026between approximately $2.05 billion and $2.08 billionRaised from between approximately $2 billion and $2.03 billion
Same shop sales growth Sourcefull year 20264% to 6%Raised from 3% to 5%
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefull year 2026between $370 million and $380 millionRaised from between $355 million and $365 million
Total system shop openings Sourcefull year 2026at least 185Raised from at least 181
Capital expenditures Sourcefull year 2026between $270 million and $290 millionKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Four 2026 guidance lines raised: total revenues, same shop sales growth, Adjusted EBITDA and total system shop openings. Source
  • Guidance kept: Capital expenditure range carried forward without change. Source
  • New: Adjusted EBITDA definition narrowed. The prior release also excluded equity offering costs, refinancing costs, executive transition costs and TRA remeasurements. Source
  • New: Same shop and AUV definitions changed for 2026. Comparable shops now need 15 complete months open, and AUVs use trailing twelve-month sales. Prior periods were not restated. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 30.8%: Total revenue was $464.4 million. Company-operated shops and franchising and other both contributed to the increase. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA up, margin lower: Adjusted EBITDA was $79.4 million, 17.1% of revenue, against 17.7% a year earlier. Source
  • Net income higher year over year: Net income rose to $23.7 million from $22.5 million. Source
  • Adjusted EPS per share higher: Adjusted net income per fully exchanged diluted share was $0.16 versus $0.14, on adjusted net income of $28.6 million against $24.8 million. Source

Shop base and unit volumes

  • 41 shops opened in quarter: 41 shops opened, 33 of them company-operated. The company reported 1,177 shops at quarter end, up from 1,012. Source
  • Average unit volumes increased: Systemwide AUV was $2,160 versus $2,026. Company-operated AUV was $2,121 versus $1,950, measured on trailing twelve-month sales. Source
  • Operating weeks grew with shop base: Company-operated operating weeks were 10,493 versus 8,737. Franchising and other operating weeks were 4,230 versus 4,011. Source
  • Comparable shop base expanded: The systemwide comparable base was 950 shops versus 794. The company-operated comparable base was 645 versus 510. Source

“we are raising our full-year guidance across the board”

Josh Guenser, Chief Financial Officer of Dutch Bros

Demand, traffic and customers

  • Transactions drove same shop growth: Systemwide same shop transactions rose 5.1% and ticket rose 3.2%. Management cited a seventh consecutive quarter of transaction growth. Source
  • Company-operated comparable sales higher: Company-operated same shop sales rose 10.6%, with transactions up 6.9% and ticket up 3.7%, above the systemwide rates. Source
  • Growth seen across segments: Management said the strength shows in existing and new markets, across dayparts and customer segments. Source
  • Dutch Rewards share of transactions: Dutch Rewards accounted for 74% of total transactions, against 72% a year earlier. Source

Segments and franchising

  • Company-operated revenue rose: Company-operated shop revenue was $429.1 million versus $326.4 million. Source
  • Franchising contribution rose: Franchising and other contribution was $23.0 million versus $20.0 million. Total segment contribution was $144.3 million versus $116.0 million. Source
  • Company-operated contribution margin lower: Company-operated shops contribution was $121.3 million, 28.3% of shop revenue, against $96.1 million and 29.4%. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Labor ratio fell: Labor was 26.2% of company-operated shop revenue versus 27.4%. Labor costs were $112.3 million against $89.4 million. Source
  • Beverage and packaging costs rose: Beverage, food and packaging costs were 26.2% of shop revenue against 25.0%. In dollars they were $112.3 million against $81.4 million. Source
  • Occupancy costs rose as share: Occupancy and other costs were 17.8% of shop revenue versus 16.5%. Pre-opening costs were 1.5% versus 1.7%. Source
  • Shop gross profit margin lower: Company-operated gross profit was $85.8 million, 20.0% of shop revenue, against $71.5 million and 21.9%. Source
  • Adjusted SG&A ratio improved: Adjusted SG&A was 14.1% of revenue versus 15.1%. Reported SG&A was 15.8% versus 16.6%. Source

Cash flow and balance sheet

  • Operating cash flow more than doubled: Operating cash flow was $84.7 million versus $36.9 million. Cash and cash equivalents closed at $263.5 million. Source
  • Investing outflow increased: Investing outflows were $76.8 million versus $45.5 million. Financing activities used $13.8 million, against $31.7 million provided a year earlier. Source
  • Inventories and receivables: Inventories were $37.4 million at quarter end versus $48.9 million at December 31, 2025. Accounts receivable were $18.8 million. Source
  • Tax receivable liability shift: The current portion of the tax receivable agreements liability rose to $13.7 million from $7.7 million. The non-current liability was $806.4 million. Source

Shareholders, shares and EPS

  • Diluted EPS unchanged at $0.13: Diluted EPS was $0.13 in both periods, on 127.4 million weighted-average diluted Class A shares versus 121.5 million. Source
  • Non-controlling share of income higher: Net income attributable to non-controlling interests was $7.6 million versus $7.1 million. Source
  • Fully exchanged share count flat: Adjusted fully exchanged diluted shares were 177.9 million versus 178.0 million a year earlier. Source

Coming up, as management said on 6 May 2026

  • Earnings slides to be posted: Management said earnings presentation slides would be published on the investor website. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Systemwide comparable sales (same shop sales) Source8.3%
Company-operated comparable sales Source10.6%
Traffic (systemwide same shop transactions) Source5.1%
Average ticket (systemwide same shop) Source3.2%
Inventory (inventories, net) Source$37.4 million
Store openings Source41 (33 company-operated)
Gross margin (company-operated shops) Source20.0% of shop revenue

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management kept the capital expenditure range unchanged from earlier guidance. Source

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.