By Sara Beth Williams–
Another drive-thru coffee shop in Citrus Heights is moving closer to completion.
Painters could be seen transforming the vacant former Rally’s Burger drive-thru building with Dutch Bros’ branded colors of dark blue and white on Sunday afternoon along Auburn Boulevard. A new Dutch Bros Drive-thru coffee shop was approved last summer take the place of the vacant restaurant.
Rally’s closed in the beginning of 2025 unexpectedly after only being in operation for three years. The restaurant owner did not respond to a request for comment at the time of closure.
Related: New drive-thru coffee shop approved in Citrus Heights – Citrus Heights Sentinel
The scope of the project for the new coffee shop consists of reutilizing the outside patio and exterior landscaping as is and making minor improvements on the interior documents show. New design renderings submitted to the city show the building repainted with blue, white, and yellow Dutch Bros brand colors. A planning document indicates that new wayfinding and directional elements are also planned for the existing parking lot.
Site plans for the future Dutch Bros also show two drive-thru lanes wrapping around the building, which has an 827-square-foot footprint. According to the applicant, the double drive-through can comfortably hold 22 vehicles in its stacked queue without impacting existing traffic.
The parcel, located in the corner of the parking lot housing Fireside Lanes, at Auburn Boulevard and Grand Oaks Boulevard, was vacant for decades prior to the construction of the Rally’s Burger drive-thru. The corner housed a Christmas tree lot in years gone by. Once an eyesore, the lot received significant improvements in curb appeal when Rally’s opened in October 2021.
Currently Citrus Heights has two existing Dutch Bros coffee drive-thrus, one on Lichen Drive and one on Madison Avenue.
