Have you driven by Bentley’s coffee and wondered why they are pink? Bentley’s Coffee is running an awareness campaign for their “Dollars for Dogs” program that donates $1 to local animal organizations for every dog that comes through a Bentley’s drive-thru.
Founder Brandon Eastman said the campaign — branded “Puppy Love” — is designed to make the buildings bright pink and impossible to miss, so they can tell more people about the program. The goal is to have the pink makeover visible through Feb. 28 before the buildings are repainted back to black.
The giving model is simple: For each dog that comes through the Bentley’s drive-thru, Bentley’s will donate $1 per dog to a local nonprofit that is focused on helping animals. So if you have 3 dogs in your car, they donate $3. Eastman said the company chooses a different local animal-focused group each month, aiming to keep the effort consistent and easy for customers and new employees to understand.
Eastman said Bentley’s has averaged about 3,000 dogs per month since launching the program in 2025. Over the first eight months, he said, that translated to roughly $25,000 donated. His target for 2026 is $50,000, and he sees the pink buildings as a way to increase awareness and participation.
The company has supported animal causes in the past through special fundraising days, Eastman said, including events that raised substantial sums in a single day. But he said those occasional efforts created gaps in awareness because customers and newer staff weren’t always around for the last fundraiser. The newer approach, he said, is meant to keep the giving visible every day rather than tied to a limited event calendar.
Bentley’s broader growth plans are moving forward alongside the February promotion. Eastman said the company opened a shop in Albany in 2022 and is preparing to expand to Redmond this year, calling it a manageable next step that stays close enough to support operations and staffing. He said a South Salem location is also in the works near South Commercial Street and is about a year out as site details move through city review.
Eastman said Bentley’s is aiming its long-term growth strategy eastward rather than up and down Interstate 5, where he sees heavier saturation from established coffee competitors. Redmond, he said, will be a key test of the brand outside its core Salem-Keizer market and will help shape future expansion decisions.
Inside the company, Eastman said Bentley’s is leaning into changes meant to support retention and consistency as it scales. He said the business launched health insurance on Feb. 1 for its leadership team, describing it as a step toward building longer-term career paths as more locations open.
Noah, the manager of Bentley’s Mission Street location, said the workplace culture has been a major draw during his time with the company. He said the operation’s pace and team environment are part of what keeps people engaged day to day, and he described the dog-focused community giving as a point of pride.
Eastman also said Bentley’s is preparing to streamline its menu to 10 featured drinks after years of expanding options. At one point, he said, the menu grew to about 55 drinks before being reduced to roughly 35. The upcoming shift, he said, is intended to highlight the drinks Bentley’s is known for while improving speed and consistency at the stand.
Bentley’s began in Salem in 2012 with the first Mission Street location, Eastman said, after a previous attempt to launch the concept in Las Vegas ended when the property was taken for a freeway project through eminent domain. Eastman said he returned home and rebuilt the business from scratch, working long hours in the early months until sales stabilized.
He said he named the company after his dog, Bentley, and that the brand’s connection to animals has remained central as the business has grown. The February “Puppy Love” promotion, he said, is the latest effort to tie that identity to a program customers can participate in year-round.
