Danby's Station Cafe, the Roosevelt Road diner that served Glen Ellyn for more than 23 years, has closed for good. A Dutch Bros. drive-thru coffee shop will take its place at 750 Roosevelt Road.
The Village of Glen Ellyn confirmed the closure and redevelopment in a Facebook post, thanking the owners and staff for years of service to the community. The announcement drew dozens of comments from residents mourning the loss and raising concerns about what comes next.
The existing 3,831-square-foot building will be demolished. In its place, petitioner Adam Firsel of Core Ventures, LLC, plans a single-story, 1,250-square-foot Dutch Bros. building with two drive-thru lanes and a redesigned parking lot.
The Glen Ellyn Plan Commission voted unanimously on June 25 to recommend approval of the special use, zoning and signage permits needed for the project. Village meeting documents noted the proposal aligns with strategic plan goals to improve commercial vitality and revitalize the Roosevelt Road Corridor. The village board was scheduled to vote on the permits July 28, and the village's Facebook post indicates the project is moving forward.
Residents push back
Traffic topped the list of resident concerns. One resident commented on the village's Facebook post that he hopes Glen Ellyn has developed a traffic plan for the site and argued no traffic should enter or exit onto Roosevelt Road.
The worry isn't unique to Glen Ellyn. Dutch Bros. drive-thru proposals have drawn traffic-related opposition in nearby suburbs, including Naperville, where a proposal was tabled indefinitely in November 2025, and Downers Grove, where a planning commission voted 5-1 against a proposal in July 2026, according to Patch.
Others mourned the diner itself.
One resident commented: "That was the best breakfast spot! Those small diners are gone now. I have no idea where we will go for breakfast because the ones surrounding us are just not it."
One commenter pointed to the restaurant's historical resonance, noting that "Danby" was the village's name before it became Glen Ellyn.
What's next
Dutch Bros., founded in 1992 in Grants Pass, Oregon, has announced plans to open roughly 35 locations across the Chicago market. No construction timeline or opening date for the Glen Ellyn location has been announced.
