New Turlock retail development, and Dutch Bros Coffee, proposed next to Stan State

A plot of newly vacant land in Turlock next to Stanislaus State is in development to become a new shopping center with restaurants, retail and the region’s first Dutch Bros Coffee kiosk.

Plans for the project, called the Warrior Crossing, were filed last month with the City of Turlock Planning Division. The new retail plaza on the northwest corner of Monte Vista Avenue and Crowell Road has been proposed on the former site of a home and adjacent agricultural field. The house, which sat at 1201 W. Monte Vista Ave., has since been torn down in preparation for work on the 1.4-acre plot.

But before construction can begin, the project needs approval from the Turlock Planning Commission and then City Council. The area in question is currently zoned for high-density residential only, and would need to be rezoned in the general plan to allow for commercial enterprises, according to Turlock Associate Planner Adrienne Werner.

The project will go before the Planning Commission May 2, and if recommended for passage will then go to the City Council around late June for final approval.

The submitted plans for Warrior Crossing, named after the Stan State mascot, include two new retail buildings. The smaller building, an 832-square-foot kiosk, would house the new Dutch Bros Coffee, which would have a drive-thru and limited seating for walk-up customers. The second, larger structure in the plan would be a 6,776-square-foot building which would have a mix of retail and restaurant tenants. The accompanying parking lot would have space for 73 vehicles.

The site, right across Crowell Road from the Stan State campus, would no doubt draw a lot of traffic from students, staff and other visitors to the university. Kitty-corner across from the site sits The Vista student apartments and a retail center with a Rite Aid and Pizza Factory, among other stores.

The property owner is listed as Turlock Retail, LP, based out of Belmont in the Bay Area. Calls to Turlock Retail were not returned by publication time. According to the submitted plans, construction would start in late June and be completed in February 2020.

Dutch Bros Coffee confirmed that the coffee kiosk is in the very early works. This would be the first in Stanislaus County. The chain, which was started as a pushcart in 1992 by two Oregon brothers of Dutch descent, has grown to some 330 locations in seven states with more than 10,000 employees. All of its shops are drive-thru kiosks, like the planned Turlock site.

Cars line up at the Dutch Bros. drive-through kiosk at Bullard and West avenues in northwest Fresno, Calif.

Eric Paul Zamora Fresno Bee

Dutch Bros Coffee representative Hillary Brown said the company is growing aggressively right now, and has plans to expand to 800 shops by 2023. The closest current locations are in Stockton and Fresno.

According to the submitted plans, the Dutch Bros kiosk would be open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily and hire about 30 employees.

The coffee chain has been eying the area for the past few years. In 2016 plans were afoot for two Dutch Bros kiosks in Modesto, but those locations were scrapped for undisclosed reasons. At the time the company spokeswoman said “That doesn’t mean we’re not coming to Modesto. We’re still looking.”

And it appears now they’ve found their spot in Turlock.

Now, I haven’t tried Dutch Bros Coffee before, but they’ve got a very loyal following (who call themselves the “Dutch Mafia,” so there’s that). Now all the area needs is a Peet’s Coffee to complete its popular West Coast chain coffee shops trifecta.

ELSEWHERE ON THE BUSINESS BEAT:

Polish those resumes, the Modesto/Stanislaus branch of the NAACP is holding its second annual job fair.

The event will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 18 at the King-Kennedy Memorial Center, 601 Martin Luther King Dr, in Modesto. The West Modesto Community Collaborative is co-sponsoring the free public event. No registration is required just show up with your resume and most hire-me-now handshake.