Clutch Coffee CEO Darren Spicer on how to stand out in a crowded category

Take-Away with Sam Oches

Nation's Restaurant News

Business, Entrepreneurship

2.5 • 15 Ratings

🗓️ 13 May 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Darren Spicer, cofounder and CEO of Clutch Coffee, a drive-thru coffee shop that has grown to 15 locations across the Carolinas since debuting in 2018. Darren grew up in Oregon and worked as a broista at Dutch Bros before going into medical device sales, and while he travelled the country for that job, he realized there were parts of the country that had no access to the burgeoning drive-thru coffee scene — meaning there was plenty of white space to start his own concept. He ultimately chose the Charlotte, North Carolina, area to launch Clutch Coffee in 2018, and has grown across the Carolinas with an intense focus on quality, culture, and community. Darren joined the podcast to talk about rising above the competition in drive-thru coffee and why your relationship with your customer is everything in getting your business off the ground.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

The best market for your business idea may not be anywhere close to you
Even when you’re trying to save on costs, quality must not be sacrificed
It’s critical that beverage players find a calling card in the innovation wars
Your loyalty program must be as easy as possible to access
As an operator, you’re the host of your own party
You should develop a strong bench of leaders before pursuing growth
By building relationships with influencers, you develop a roster of ambassadors

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey there, welcome to Takeaway with Sam Ocus, a podcast from Nation's Restaurant News.
0:04.6	I'm Sam Ocas, editor-in-chief here at NRN, and this is the show where I give you an all-access pass
0:09.4	to the restaurant industry's most influential decision-makers.
0:13.2	This week, I'm talking with Darren Spicer, the co-founder and CEO of Clutch Coffee,
0:18.7	a drive-thru coffee shop that has grown to 15 locations across the Carolinas
0:23.7	since its debut in 2018. Daring grew up in Oregon, and he worked as a broista at Dutch
0:29.6	bros before going into medical device sales. And while he traveled the country for that job,
0:35.0	he realized there were parts of the country that had no access to
0:37.9	the burgeoning drive-thru coffee scene, meaning there was plenty of white space to start his own
0:43.0	concept. He ultimately chose the Charlotte, North Carolina area to launch clutch coffee in 2018
0:48.3	and has since grown across the Carolinas with an intense focus on quality, culture, and community.
0:55.7	Darren joined the podcast to talk about rising above the competition and drive-through coffee
0:59.9	and why your relationship with your customer is everything in getting your business off the ground.
1:05.6	In this interview, you will learn more about why the best market for your business might not be anywhere close to you,
1:11.0	why your loyalty program must be as easy as possible to access, and why you should develop
1:16.2	a strong bench of leaders before pursuing growth. As always, be sure to like and subscribe
1:22.4	to take away on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also leave your feedback on those platforms.
1:28.7	A little bit of love goes a long way in getting this show to more listeners.
1:32.6	You can also now follow me on TikTok where I will be sharing special insights from this show,
1:36.6	but also other exclusive content, including behind the scenes, looks,
1:39.9	and my industry travels and experiences.
1:42.4	Go follow me at Takeaway Sam. That's at Takeaway Sam.
	...

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