Dutch Brothers Coffee when they open their Manteca operation will make extensive use of “runners” — a relatively rare component at the firm’s nearly 300 locations.
It’s a nod to the company’s anticipation that not only will Manteca’s commuter heavy population flock to the Dutch Brothers location planned at 1105 West Yosemite Avenue just to the east of Cabral Motors, but that they have a loyal following.
Unlike Starbucks that operates with one drive-up lane, Dutch Brothers thrives on catering to customers that don’t leave their vehicles.
The Manteca site will include two drive-thru lanes separated by a median that will hold up to 25 vehicles at one time. Runners — armed with tablet order devices — walk up to vehicles in the queue and take orders as well as payment. That allows for shorter waits for coffee.
And at peak periods at other locations employing runners such as the Rocklin site, the runners will also bring coffee orders to the vehicles to reduce the time in line.
And unlike the Starbucks locations in town that have drive-up lanes, the site of just over eight-tenths of an acre is designed to handle a large volume of traffic. Besides being free-standing with no other business sharing the parking lot, the entrance to the drive up lanes is planned for the back of the site. That means vehicles in line won’t block in other vehicles or back up into the street unless there are more 45 vehicles lined up for coffee.
The firm eschews freeway orientated sites in favor of locations designed to serve the communities they are located. Dutch Brothers is a privately owned concern based in Oregon. The closest locations to Manteca are two locations in Stockton and one each on both Oakdale and Lodi.
Dutch Brothers is one of three projects before the Manteca Planning Commission when they meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.
The others are a car wash and a 9-unit apartment complex.
All three share a common thread in that they are not just infill projects but they are being built in locations that would have gone begging for interest just a few years ago. Now with Manteca’s growth pace having been at a steady 500 to 600 new housing units being built annually for the past four with the 2020 pace on target to top 1,000 more housing units this year with another 7,000 plus in various stages of approval, relatively odd parcels in relatively off the beaten path locations are drawing a lot of interest.
Manteca’s 14th car wash
planned with
up to 24 vacuum stalls
A prime example of a relatively out of the way location is the Rise & Shine express car wash planned on the southwest corner of Commerce Drive and Phoenix Drive next to the Ford Small Parts Distribution Center, across from the back side of Staples, and kitty corner from the backside of Home Depot.
It is just across the street from where the city has approved the construction of a 25,211 square-foot indoor sports facility on Commerce Court to serve as the go-to place for youth, high school and adult sports enthusiasts. The indoor sports facility will develop leagues for different sports teams that will be able to play in a dedicated indoor facility designed for that purpose year round. The facility is expected to operate between 3 p.m. and midnight.
Every one of the exiting car washes now operating and including the one now under construction along with an AM/PM fueling station/convenience store plus a fast food restaurant at Crestwood Avenue and Lathrop Road are all located on high-traffic arterial streets. The proposed car wash is one block from two arterials — Spreckels Avenue and Yosemite Avenue.
The car wash building will be 4,937 square feet. The developer in plans submitted to the city plans to have three pay lanes plus 37 parking stalls that they intend to also have vacuum set ups for at least 24 spaces.
Customers would enter from Commerce Court and exit onto Phoenix Drive. The carwash is being pursued by Highwalll Development of Manteca with Gubir Singh shepherding the project.
Infill apartment complex
The nine-unit apartment complex is planned along East Alameda Avenue where a number of infill residential developments have taken place in recent years on deep and fairly narrow lots.
Madan Das of San Jose plans to build nine housing units classified as an apartment complex at the rear of a parcel at 450 and 456 East Alameda Street that has 11 existing multi-family units on either side of a private street.
The apartments will not require the removal of any of the existing housing. The design looks more like a series of adjoining row houses than what has been traditionally built in Manteca.
The apartments are all two story buildings. It will include four two bedroom units and five three bedroom units featuring clapboard architecture for the exterior.
The city is requiring vinyl or wooden fencing around the perimeter of all the property as well as landscaping that includes the requirement of upgrading what is currently along Alameda Street.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
