"Clutch Coffee Bar, a popular chain of small, drive-through coffee stands in North and South Carolina, announced on January 14, 2026 that the company has been acquired by Dutch Bros. Per announcements made via the Clutch Coffee Bar website and Instagram, its last day of operation will be on January 16, 2026, with all 20 locations closing at 4:00 p.m. The coffee stands will then undergo renovations to conform with the Dutch Bros brand before reopening."
"Clutch was a fast-growing coffee chain that had been expanding throughout the Carolinas for eight years. In the FAQs section of the announcement on its website, Clutch stated that the purpose of the acquisition was "accelerate its mission without compromising its values." While Dutch Bros has over 1,000 locations in 24 states across the U.S., it currently only has two in the Carolinas."
"According to Spicer, he and his business partners aimed to create a positive, welcoming space at Clutch Coffee Bar that encompassed the same values he learned while working at the popular Starbucks rival, Dutch Bros. In a 2023 interview with QSR, Spicer said that his coffee stands existed "to serve positive energy," and that employees were encouraged to "be themselves and to have genuine interactions with people.""
Clutch Coffee Bar operated 20 small drive-through stands across North and South Carolina and was acquired by Dutch Bros, with operations pausing January 16, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Each location will be renovated to the Dutch Bros brand and reopening dates will be posted through the Dutch Bros mobile app. Clutch had expanded across the Carolinas for eight years and said the acquisition aims to accelerate its mission without compromising its values. Dutch Bros operates over 1,000 locations in 24 states but had only two locations in the Carolinas prior to this deal. Founder Darren Spicer previously managed a Dutch Bros location before opening Clutch in 2018.
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