Jeffrey Bennett Reflects on Thirty-Five Years of Building

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Over a storied thirty-five-year career, Jeffrey Bennett has worked on many project types, including roll-out programs for major brands on both the architectural and construction management sides of development. He served as a proud “Seabee” in the US Naval Construction Battalion, created prototypes from concepts, and developed prototype implementation programs. Those experiences gave him a unique perspective on speed-to-market development. In September of 2020, he took on director of construction duties at Dutch Bros Coffee to help escalate the brand’s rapid eastward expansion.  

“So much has been given by those who have poured into me both personally and professionally. It’s an honor and a blessing for me to give what I’ve learned to help others so they might elevate others. The least I can do is be thankful and share knowledge.” 

Jeffrey Bennett

Dutch Bros Coffee is a drive-thru coffee company dedicated to making a massive difference one cup at a time. Founded in 1992, the company now has more than 650 locations in 14 states, with its headquarters located in Grants Pass, Oregon.

Bennett reflects on the invaluable lessons he has learned time and time again throughout his career. “Never underestimate the tenets of professionalism,” he says. “Know that empathy is a key component to building professional relationships that are solution-based and efficient.” 

“If you know how to be a professional, those in leadership positions will come to trust you,” Bennett explains. “And when they come to trust you, they will teach you. And that which they teach you, you have forever.” 

That sort of wisdom was earned en masse, as Bennett pursued a career in design before most had even started college. During the Black Monday recession of 1987, eighteen-year-old Bennett was one of only two people who didn’t get laid off from the architectural firm he worked at.

Early in his career, Bennett, no doubt aided by his military experience, learned how to balance speed, efficiency, and accuracy. His boss explained that he needed to master all three to know which needed to be sacrificed at times to meet a goal. It wasn’t cutting corners; it was the reality of a fast-moving space. It was one of the most valuable lessons he had ever been given and it fundamentally informs how he works today.

“Dutch Bros is developing stores at a high pace. That makes effectively communicating a necessity,” Bennett says. “Each person, unit, department, vendor, and consultant must execute in unison. The more we understand each other’s ‘whys’, the more unified our focus becomes.”

Bennett’s hard-driving work ethic is, he says, another reflection of sometimes harsh realities in his life. His daughter was born with sickle cell anemia, providing endless challenges throughout her life, and often making Bennett’s work schedule change at a moment’s notice. Along with his daughter, Bennett and his wife were also dedicating significant time to caring for ailing parents, and Bennett himself had to work back from a serious car accident. 

“Most of my professional career has revolved around my family. So, wherever I work, I come with conditions,” Bennett admits. “I had to have flexibility. That’s the bottom line. In this business, it’s all about results. My performance must be based on the results of my work more so than any other metric, so I do what is necessary to keep things where they need to be. That work ethic is just part of me.” 

“I’ve tried to place a high priority on interdepartmental understanding.”

Jeffrey Bennett

That need for flexibility certainly hasn’t impaired Bennett’s prospects. In 2020, he was contacted by Dutch Bros VP of Design and Construction Daniel Batty to help a successful company grow even more. He would become the first director of construction at Dutch Bros. 

Bennett’s purview is essentially everything east of the middle of Texas. Dutch Bros, initially a west coast phenomenon, is expanding past the Mississippi in a hurry. “We’re having to scale our department and what we’re doing along with the company’s growth. Through that, I’ve tried to place a high priority on interdepartmental understanding.”

It’s something Bennett has seen go poorly before, and that’s why he’s especially committed to working with the larger organization, vendors, and consultants to understand the importance of learning how to work together. Conversations that weren’t happening before are now happening. And tools and efficiencies that weren’t there to aid that kind of collaboration are now there. “In my career, I’ve worked with no team better equipped to grow than ours at Dutch Bros,” he says.

As for Bennett, he’s also continuing to grow. He never wants to stop evolving. He’s always looking to make a process or procedure more efficient. And it might take a little extra hard work, but if there’s anything Bennett knows how to do, it’s deliver. 

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