America’s Most Popular Regional Coffee Chains [MAP]

Starting off your morning with a proper cup of coffee can make or break your day, and getting a freshly brewed cup from a familiar face just sets the right tone. That’s why it’s important to have a trusty local coffee shop nearby. While coffee drinkers can find their caffeine fix almost anywhere in the U.S. nowadays, there’s a reason patrons still flock to their beloved regional chains.

Some of these spots started out small — Oregon’s popular Dutch Bros started out as a push cart with an espresso machine — but have now grown to have hundreds of locations. And even though some larger chains, like Dunkin’ or Blue Bottle, have expanded far beyond their home turf, they can still offer a regional feel. (It’s no secret Dunkin’ still embraces its Massachusetts heritage by way of Ben Affleck.)

Whether you’re fiercely loyal to your local coffee brand, or are looking to switch up your morning routine, here are the most popular regional coffee chains in the U.S.

The Northeast

Blank Street

While New Yorkers hate to admit it, Blank Street has taken over the city. Since debuting in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 2020, the rapidly expanding chain has popped up in nearly every neighborhood and now has over 35 locations in NYC alone — quickly outpacing the growth of some of the city’s beloved mainstays like Devoción and Joe Coffee. Boston and Washington, D.C., have a fair number of Blank Street shops now, bringing the total number to 74. This spot isn’t exactly known for its mind-blowing coffee, but rather its convenient subscription program and bright, Instagram-ready aesthetic.

Dunkin’

Dunkin’ technically has more than just a regional presence (America runs on Dunkin’, right?), but there’s no denying it still has strong ties to its Massachusetts roots — just ask Ben Affleck. This widely popular chain is also still heavily concentrated in the Northeast, with the majority of its shops located in Massachusetts and New York.

La Colombe

While you might see cans of cold brew from La Colombe across the country, this coffee roaster also has several cafés across the Northeast and beyond. Founded in Philadelphia in 1994, La Colombe roaster has 32 locations across Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, California, Texas, and Washington, D.C.

The South

PJ’s Coffee

PJ’s started out in 1978 as a small coffee house in New Orleans, and has since expanded to over 170 locations. In a recent statement, the brand also divulged that it has plans to add 120 more locations in the coming years. Most of its recent growth has been in the neighboring state of Texas, and for future expansion, the brand has its sights set on Florida.

Port City Java

Founded in Wilmington, N.C., in 1995, Port City Java is a small chain that now serves freshly roasted coffee to customers across both North and South Carolina.

The Midwest

Caribou Coffee

John and Kim Puckett started the first Caribou Coffee in Minnesota in 1992, and though it remains a cornerstone of the Midwestern coffee scene, the chain now has over 470 shops in the U.S. across 19 states. Caribou prides itself on serving coffee exclusively from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, supporting biodiversity and conservation.

Biggby Coffee

Biggby Coffee specializes in mellow, approachable blends and creative drinks like the Teddy Bear latte. It was founded in East Lansing, Mich., in 1995 by friends Bob Fish and Michael McFall, and now features over 350 locations across 13 states. According to the brand, it’s on track to have 1,000 locations by 2028.

Dunn Brothers Coffee

After gaining experience as roasters in Portland, Ore., brothers Ed and Dan Dunn moved to the Twin Cities to start their own shop and founded Dunn Brothers Coffee in 1987. The chain focuses on roasting in small batches to maximize flavor, in drinks like the Infinite Black Cold Brew, which is slow-brewed for 24 hours. Dunn Brothers now has 48 locations across seven states, with 29 still situated in its home state of Minnesota.

Tim Hortons

Even though Tim Hortons is a Canadian icon, founded in Hamilton, Ontario by its ice-hockey player namesake in 1964, the coffee and donut shop has made its way stateside. Understandably, the chain has its largest presence at the Northern border with 73 locations in Ohio, 110 in Michigan, and 103 in New York State.

West Coast

Black Rock Coffee Bar

There’s a lot of competition in the Pacific Northwest when it comes to specialty coffee shops — ever heard of Starbucks? That’s why it was so surprising that Black Rock Coffee Bar had such success when it launched in Portland, Ore.’s already saturated market in 2008. The chain now has 139 locations along the western U.S., centered in Oregon, Arizona, and Texas.

Blue Bottle

Blue Bottle changed the game in 2002 when it launched as a sustainably minded shop in California’s Bay Area. Inspired by San Francisco farmers markets, Blue Bottle has been organic and plastic-averse since the get-go. After many rounds of sizable investments, this chain now has about 100 stores worldwide, but its roots are still undeniably in California.

Dutch Bros Coffee

The beloved Dutch Bros chain, known for their convenient drive-thru coffee shops, has come a long way since its early days. This chain originally opened as a push cart with an espresso machine in 1992 in Grants Pass, Ore. It now has 831 locations across 16 states, but remains concentrated on the West Coast.

The Human Bean

Since both Dutch Bros and The Human Bean are now known for their drive-thru businesses and great coffee, they are often pitted against each other as competitors. The Human Bean arrived a little later on the Oregon coffee scene, in 1998, but has definitely dug into the market share with over 300 locations across 23 states.

Peet’s Coffee

Founded in 1966, Peet’s is a stalwart of the California coffee scene. Though you might be able to buy bags of its coffee in supermarkets around the country, the vast majority of its locations (228 out of 289) remain in northern California.

Philz Coffee

Newer on the San Francisco coffee scene, Philz was founded in 2003 by Phil Jaber. After opening a convenience store in the city’s Mission District in 1978, Jaber had 25 years of experience learning how to make a perfect cup of coffee, and took this knowledge to start his own chain. Now Philz can be found in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Herbert Hyman founded this brand in 1963 as a coffee service for offices, but three years later, he decided to open its first brick-and-mortar operation in Southern California. After starting slow with local growth, the company went global, and now has over 1,100 cafés worldwide with a large presence in Asia. But in the U.S. 126 out of 135 locations remain in California.

*Image retrieved from Farknot Architect via stock.adobe.com