Nationwide coffee chain Dutch Bros is set to open a new location in Clemson, South Carolina.

A former fast-food building with KFC and Long John Silver’s is currently undergoing renovations to become a Dutch Bros, a West Coast coffee chain that has been expanding east in the last several years.

In a press release shared with The Tiger, Dutch Bros stated that the first location in Clemson, located at 118 Pinnacle St., is under construction and on track to open in early 2026.

“We’re stoked to be coming to Clemson,” A Dutch Bros PR representative told The Tiger.

The representative shared that customers can expect “upbeat music, energetic broistas (Dutch Bros’ version of baristas) and outstanding speed, quality and service.”

The Tempe, Arizona-based coffee company is a drive-thru-only coffee chain that sells a variety of drinks, including iced coffee, lattes, cold brew, matcha, signature energy drinks, smoothies and protein lattes. It also sells some pastries such as muffin tops. The chain has over 1,000 locations across 24 states as of September 2025, according to its website.

Several students are looking forward to the coffee chain coming to Clemson, including Janiny Avallone, a senior criminal justice major.

“I’m so excited that Dutch Bros is coming to Clemson. While we have so many coffee shops, I know that Dutch Bros has non-coffee options available, which will make them unique from others,” Avallone told The Tiger in an interview. “I’ve never had it before, and I’m excited to see what the craze is all about.”

Kaitlin Petersen, a senior materials science and engineering major, is also excited about the new coffee shop. She’s especially looking forward to the variety of non-coffee options available at Dutch Bros.

“I’m not a coffee person at all, so I’m really excited for Dutch Bros to open in Clemson. They’re known for having tons of non-coffee options, which is perfect for people like me who usually stick to refreshers or chai from Starbucks.”

Clemson already has a huge selection of coffee shops in the area. The University’s campus alone has three Starbucks locations. Within just a 2-mile radius of campus, there are two more stand-alone Starbucks shops as well as a Dunkin’ location. There is also a variety of coffee shops downtown, as well as local shops in Seneca, Central and Pendleton.

This new location will be the chain’s third location in the state. Dutch Bros opened its first location in the Palmetto state in Summerville, South Carolina, this August. In addition to the Clemson location, the company has another under construction in Greenville, South Carolina, on N. Pleasantburg Drive, which is expected to open later this year.

Both Starbucks and All In Coffee Shop declined to comment on the matter at this time.