Does Your Straw Color At Dutch Bros Actually Mean Anything?

What's your sun sign? Your moon sign? Are you a water rooster in Chinese zodiac or a fire horse? Maybe you're an Enneagram 4, or perhaps you're better described as a Myers-Briggs INFP. There's an infinitum of systems worked out to help us better understand ourselves, and it seems new sorting methods are developed every day. The hottest new system? Straw colors at Dutch Bros. 

Rumor has it the baristas at Dutch Bros have a system of communicating their perception of customers via straw color choice. For example, a pink straw means the barista thinks you're cute, while a green straw means the barista thinks you're unattractive. The straw color rumor has been in existence since the mid-2010s at least, though it's caught new traction in recent years via TikTok. But is it actually real?

At the company-wide level, no, the straw theory is not real, or at least not addressed. However, therein lies the rub. Some apparent Dutch Bros workers online have confirmed it's used between some baristas; it's sort of like the Hobo Code, but for those who know how to pull a quad shot and steam milk to the perfect temperature. Still, others insist it's nothing but a rumor. So, which is it?

Here's the thing about rumors: regardless of validity, once spread, they tend to create the reality they purport. After all, Starbucks doesn't have an official secret menu, though there are plenty of ordering hacks you can use at the chain. Yet it does exist, and has even influenced the chain's official menu. So, while Dutch Bros doesn't have a page in its employee manual about sorting sippers by hotness or niceness, the rumor of the categorization system may have influenced the straw choice of certain baristas.

For example, in one TikTok posted by @huntleyhealth, a barista at the chain indicated the straw theory isn't real. However, they also noted that, sometimes, the straw theory does influence their straw choice. For example, they might give a blue straw (signaling rudeness) to a particularly grating customer. still, a Reddit thread on the r/DutchBros subreddit asked about the validity of the theory, and the bulk of respondents agreed it had little-to-no merit. After all, the coffee chain is known for its fast-paced business model; most baristas are simply too busy to go sorting straws by color for individual messages.

The straw theory is more myth than fact, but it has certainly made its impact on the coffee chain and how its customers engage with the business. While a latte with a side of self-assessment may not seem like a universally appealing coffee-sipping experience, it very well may be a key part of the chain's increasing popularity. After all, customers love a good secret code. The renaissance of speakeasy bars and the enduring legacy of In-N-Out's own secret menu (including the famous Flying Dutchman) certainly both speak to this need to be in on secret knowledge and to engage with businesses in a more personal way.

While, again, the straw theory isn't real — except in the case of rogue baristas well-versed in internet lore — its very existence allows customers to engage with the chain in a more personalized and connected way (even if it's mostly one-sided). Plus, it's ripe for social media usage, with many customers posting their straw color to either gloat or bemoan their barista's assessment of their appearance and personality. Maybe the truth is the straw theory is real if you believe it — though it's about as accurate as your daily horoscope.