Nicole Dankenbring was working at Dutch Bros when she started baking on the side. Her manager loved her pastries, introduced her to a local franchise owner, and A&M Sweets was born.

For more than seven years, the family-owned Salem bakery quietly supplied about 4,000 baked goods per week to roughly 25 Dutch Bros locations across the Mid-Willamette Valley.

Banana bread was the bestseller, with the bakery turning out between 1,900 and 2,500 slices each week.

That run ended in November 2025, when Dankenbring and co-owner Brenden Chapman learned Dutch Bros would discontinue its local third-party food vendor partnerships as the company expanded its own food program. The bakery publicly announced the split in June 2026.

"We absolutely loved working with our Dutch partners," Dankenbring told KATU on Monday, July 14. "They were nothing but great to us, and it was awesome for the time that we had them."

The coffee chain has been restructuring broadly. It moved its headquarters from Grants Pass to Tempe, Arizona, in summer 2025 and grew first-quarter 2026 revenue 30.8% to $464 million while opening 41 new stores. I

ndustry reports indicate Dutch Bros is piloting hot breakfast items nationwide in 2026.

For A&M Sweets, the partnership represented a significant share of wholesale revenue. But rather than downsize, the owners are pivoting.

The bakery at 1950 McGilchrist St. SE plans to soft-launch a "build your own dessert" concept the week of July 21, letting customers customize brownies, cookies, cinnamon rolls, bread, and cupcakes. The owners said a larger grand reopening will follow, though they haven't set a firm date.

Dankenbring said former Dutch Bros customers have already been finding their way to the storefront. "They were sad they couldn't find them at Dutch Bros, but they were happy to find out that we have a storefront," she said.

The owners are also pursuing new wholesale relationships with other local businesses beyond the coffee chain.

A&M Sweets opened its retail location in May 2022. Customers can reach the bakery at (503) 559-3461.

Coming up in Salem:

• Week of July 21 — A&M Sweets soft-launches its "build your own dessert" concept at 1950 McGilchrist St. SE.