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Empires is a media platform for franchise owners, investors, and founders - that explores brick & mortar brands and operators.

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March 2, 2026

From Dutch Bros Barista to $20M Coffee Chain Exit | Darren Spicer (Clutch Coffee Founder)

Darren Spicer started as a barista at Dutch Bros. Years later, after the company shut down its franchise program, he built his own drive-thru coffee chain from scratch, scaling it to 20 locations before selling it back to Dutch Bros in a $20M deal.

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