Diverse clergy urges Dutch Bros Coffee to stop charging extra for plant-based milk alternatives

A multi-faith coalition of Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish leaders is urging Dutch Bros Coffee; large drive-through coffee chain headquartered in Oregon; to immediately stop charging extra for plant-based milk alternatives; calling it “unethical” and “unfair”.

Greek-Orthodox clergyman in Nevada Father Stephen R. Karcher, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, renowned Buddhist minister Reverend Matthew T. Fisher, esteemed Jewish rabbi in California-Nevada ElizaBeth Webb Beyer; in a joint statement in Nevada today; reminded Dutch Bros Coffee to follow its own commitment to “inclusion” and "people-first culture" by fixing this issue of unfairness.

A coffee company should not be in the business of taxing individuals who had chosen the plant-based lifestyle and thus dairy-milk-alternatives for dietary restrictions, ethical issues, health risk worries, environmental concerns, lactose intolerance, milk allergy, increased prostate cancer risk, unease at antibiotics-hormones-pesticides, animal welfare, etc.; Karcher, Zed, Fisher, Beyer wrote.

Why does Dutch Bros Coffee perpetuate such unfairness simply for its mercantile greed; Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, asks. On the other hand, Dutch Bros Coffee, which boasts of “vision of making a massive difference”, should work towards making plant-based milk alternatives more accessible to every customer by removing the surcharge barriers; Zed added.

These Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish religious leaders urged Dutch Bros Coffee Executive Chairman Travis Boersma and CEO Joth Ricci to immediately drop this surcharge for choosing plant-based milk alternatives and not blatantly ignore the company slogan of “serving up smiles”.

Dutch Bros Coffee locations reportedly charge customers 70¢ extra per coffee cup for almond, coconut, oat milk if customers choose these substitutes replacing dairy milk.

Headquartered in Grants Pass, Oregon; Dutch Bros Coffee, launched in 1992, has reportedly 641 locations across 14 states.