Coffee lovers get free jolt of good feelings

In the age of the $4 latte, signs for "free coffee" brought downtown workers out like moths to a flame Friday morning.

The state's first Dutch Bros. Coffee location, at the corner of Weber Street and Colorado Avenue, filled cups gratis on its opening day, attracting long lines of caffeine fiends.

"I might go broke tomorrow, but at least people love me while I go broke," said Justin Ayriss, the franchise's owner. "I'm giving away a three-bay warehouse full of stock."

Ayriss thought that by the end of the day, he might give away 10,000 lattes, mochas and, possibly, a few plain old black coffees.

OK, free is fine, but how long would you wait to save a few bucks on a latte?

"I'd probably wait a while," said Curtis Summerson, who was, in fact, on his second pass through the line. "It's good coffee - I brought my friend up so he can try it out."

The drive-through-only coffee chain started in Oregon in 1992 and now has 136 locations in seven Western states. Ayriss plans to open two more local locations by the end of the year, at Platte Avenue and Union Boulevard and at Circle Drive and Palmer Park Boulevard.

Opening a new business amid an economic downturn might seem scary, but Ayriss said he's got confidence in his coffee.

"You can't be chicken, you can't be like, ‘Oh, I don't want to invest,'" Ayriss said.

"That's the only way to do business: Be optimistic, be positive."