A Regional Coffee Chain Is Shutting Down After Being Bought By Dutch Bros

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. On its website, Clutch directs customers to the Dutch Bros mobile app to determine reopening dates.

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 to "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. One of the founders of Clutch, Darren Spicer, was previously a manager at a California Dutch Bros location before opening the first Clutch Coffee Bar in Mooresville, North Carolina in 2018. 

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."

As the news broke of Clutch Coffee's acquisition by Dutch Bros, customers reacted across social media. A Facebook post from Mooresville Now announcing the news was met mostly with comments lamenting the loss of a beloved local coffee chain. However, some people are looking forward to the change in ownership. One Facebook user responded to the post and said, "This is the best news. Karma is real," and another said "this is the best news EVER." However, more than one person also claimed that employees were given no notice of the impending acquisition, and only found out alongside the public when the terms were finalized. 

Under the Mooresville Now post, one Facebook commenter alleged that "employees were given 3 days to find new employment, and aren't promised anything from [the] Dutch Bros team." In another comment, one user claimed that Clutch "didn't even tell their employees about this and now everyone is out of a job as of Friday." One person even shared a screenshot of an Instagram comment made by someone who claimed to be a Clutch employee. The Instagram comment alleged that employees "were informed over a Zoom call and left to scramble." 

Clutch Coffee's Instagram announcement now has the comments turned off, but customers are leaving comments across its other posts chastising the company. In a response to one such comment, Clutch said, "All Clutch employees are being given additional transition pay well beyond 3 days, as well as In-person meetings with Dutch Bros to explore employment for stores reopening." It also claimed that former Clutch Coffee Bar baristas would "receive priority in the hiring process." There has been no response from Dutch Bros confirming this, but the acquisition proves it remains an up-and-coming chain we'll see everywhere in 2026.