Richland’s only Dutch Bros Coffee currently is closed for a complete interior remodel, with plans to re-open on Sept. 26.

“We’re gutting it and starting over inside,” said Brad Barnes, who owns the Richland coffee stand and both Dutch Bros. in Pasco.

“We are setting up the stand for something that makes sense,” Barnes said. He was not the original franchisee and does not own the land or building at 496 Keene Road.

The Richland Dutch Bros. opened in May 2014.

Barnes said the interior was not laid out for the most efficiency for his employees.

“You need to be able to get your work done, not bump into someone and still give all that love out the window,” Barnes said.

The coffee chain is known for the attention its baristas try to offer to each individual customer, with a mission of “spreading the Dutch luv.”

Barnes said the interior was challenging the capacity to execute the company’s three core values: speed, quality and service.

“We didn’t feel we had the ability to achieve the speed that we should and people couldn’t break away to offer service to the customer,” he said.

Barnes expected the remodel will allow each team member to more effectively make their drink.

Customers won’t notice a difference to the exterior of the building, and the driveway to approach the drive-thru window will remain the same. But the hope is that the improvements to the interior will create a better experience for patrons, known as the “Dutch Mafia.”

Established in 1992, Dutch Bros. calls itself “the country’s largest, privately held drive-thru coffee company.” It has nearly 300 locations in seven states, including three shops in Kennewick, one in Hermiston and a recently-opened store in Prosser.

Barnes expects to bring another Dutch Bros to Richland “sooner than later.”

He’s currently looking at a few potential spots around town but didn’t want to name any specifics.

In the meantime, with the Keene Road site closed, employees are taking time off, working at other stores or contributing at the local headquarters in King City.

“It’s a good time to support other coffee shops in the Tri-Cities,” Barnes said.

Work at the Richland Dutch Bros is being completed by Elite Construction.

The stand expects to re-open on Sept. 26 with “big specials” for its customers.