The 3 States Where Other Coffee Chains Outshine Starbucks & Dunkin'

In most states, it can feel impossible to avoid Starbucks. With over 15,000 locations in the U.S. (as of 2024), it seems like a shopping center will have a Starbucks in a Target, next door to a Starbucks inside a Safeway, and across from a normal Starbucks. The recent closure of over 100 stores is just a drop in the bucket! In the Northeast (plus Illinois and Florida), Dunkin' dominates. The donuts chain has over 9,000 locations and claims to take its coffee very seriously, making it a top place for people to buy their morning cup. With this level of saturation, there are still three states that somehow manage to drink a competitor's brew: Oklahoma, Minnesota, and North Dakota.

Data site, Scrapehero, created a map of the top coffee shops in the U.S. by state, ranking by the most coffee shops. Caribou Coffee beat out Dunkin' and Starbucks in Minnesota and North Dakota. The coffee chain has 496 locations in the U.S., 303 of them in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, which is where they are based. North Dakota only has 36 locations, but the state only has 22 Starbucks and not a single Dunkin'.

This leaves us with Oklahoma, the only state with more locations of Daylight Donuts than any other coffee chain. Founded in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the chain has 111 locations in the state. That's one location for every 35,649 people.

Those who don't live in the three states where Starbucks or Dunkin' are the coffee kings may wonder what these other chains are. Caribou Coffee, which is part of the Panera Bread and Einstein Bagels group, leans into an outdoorsy vibe with its "Cabin" (drive-thru only) and "Chalet" (larger locations with seats) store models. Its menu has the standard array of coffees, specialty drinks, and baked goods. A hearty french toast sandwich is the latest addition, with a cinnamon swirl french toast bread, egg, cheddar and cream cheeses, and sausage.

If you haven't heard of Daylight Donuts, you're missing out. It's number five in our ranking of the top donut chains in America. Started in 1954 by a couple selling dough out of the trunk of their car, it focuses on a light and fluffy, yeast-raised donut that is the calling card of the bakery today. Daylight Donuts is mostly found in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas, but it does stretch out as far as Utah and Maine.