When most folks think of “Undercover Boss,” they imagine executives donning workplace attire, going incognito, and toiling side-by-side with frontline employees. That’s exactly what happens on the Emmy Award-winning reality series, including a November 2013 episode featuring the beloved Dutch Bros Coffee chain. To get the scoop on what really takes place when the boss isn’t looking, Travis Boersma, co-founder and then-president of Dutch Bros, impersonated a “broista” (the cheeky company name for baristas.) But that isn’t the only shenanigan that occurred — not by a long shot.
As part of his undercover assignment, Boersma assumed varying personas and disguises, working as a laborer at an El Salvador coffee plantation, a roaster at the Dutch Bros headquarters in Oregon, and manager as well as barista in various coffee shop locations. To keep him from being recognized by employees, he took on the alias of “Sam Marshall” from Texas. Trading in his usual board shorts for khakis, and sporting a wig and makeup, Boersma morphed into a preppy-style “nerd,” according to a Dutch Bros account of the experience.
As the episode evolves, this CEO explored many work aspects affecting the then-2,000 employees across more than 200 Dutch Bros locations. Moving through each job, Boersma got a close look at how operations and employees were performing. Things got personal as he heard from baristas struggling with life issues, store managers stretched thin, and a foreman in El Salvador named Alberto who was supporting his disabled, amputee son while ensuring that far-away customers eventually enjoyed steaming or icy cups of Dutch Bros coffee drinks.
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Impacts of the Dutch Bros Undercover Boss episode
Dutch Bros coffee – Around the World Photos/Shutterstock
Though “Undercover Boss” is made for TV enjoyment, the journeys are real, as are the people and interactions involved. The moments depicted in the Dutch Bros episode (Season 5, Episode 8) prompted Boersma to reflect. In promotional spots for the show before it aired, he noted how the resilience and dedication he discovered led to “incorporating more gratitude” into his life mission.
Over the years, Dutch Bros has made working with the community a central piece of its corporate identity. Its official “Giving Back” website page notes working with local organizations on annual events raising money for things like food insecurity and youth causes. In remembrance of Boersma’s brother and co-founder of Dutch Bros, Dane, the “Drink for Dane” campaign was started to support ALS research, with $2.5 million donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association in 2024.
In the final moments of the “Undercover Boss” episode, this boss summed it up by saying, “Dutch Bros is more than just one person, and it’s more than just a cup of coffee.” Boersma put his money where his mouth was by telling an employee she was receiving $50,000 to open her own franchise. Likewise, he awarded the same amount to an employee and single-mother raising a child with Down Syndrome to fulfill her dream of starting a community garden, plus another $10,000 for herself and her kids. But, the company’s philanthropic edge is just one of many things coffee lovers should know about Dutch Bros.
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Read the original article on Tasting Table.
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