A regional coffee chain with a cult following just recalled its free solar eclipse glasses - and customers are freaking out
Late on Sunday night, the drive-thru coffee chain - which has close to 200 locations, primarily in the Northwest - posted on Facebook that it was recalling the solar eclipse glasses it had been handing out at its locations.
"If you received a pair of these glasses, DO NOT USE THEM TO VIEW THE ECLIPSE," Dutch Bros. wrote on Facebook. "Please return these glasses to the Dutch Bros. Coffee location where you received them for a FREE DRINK of your choice - any drink, any size."
According to Dutch Bros., the eclipse glasses had received certification of ISO compliance from the manufacturer. However, further investigation led Dutch Bros. to "question this certification" and decide to issue a voluntary recall.
Some customers - many of whom showed up early and waited in long lines to get their hands on the free eclipse glasses - were not pleased with the news of the recall.
"Well that's annoying considering it's 10:30 pm and this was the one thing my daughter (14) was looking forward to," one Facebook user wrote. "I got up at the a-- crack of dawn to get them for her and then work all day."
However, another Facebook user defended Dutch Bros., writing: "Better then them letting you use them and your daughter goes blind."
If you don't have eclipse glasses as time is running out, there are a few solutions.
You can contact local libraries and NASA viewing events and see if they have any glasses left. And, if you simply can't find glasses before the eclipse, don't worry - you can view the event safely using a pinhole camera, leaves, or even your fist.