Dutch Bros recalls eclipse glasses

The coffee company, which has stands throughout the Treasure Valley and the region, handed out eclipse glasses at many of its stands Sunday but issued a recall notice on Facebook around midnight.

The company warned customers not to use the glasses after discovering the certification of safety was questionable.

“We purchased these glasses after receiving certification of ISO compliance from the manufacturer,” the company’s announcement said. “Further investigation has led us to question this certification. Your safety is of the utmost importance to us, so we are issuing this voluntary recall.”

“If you received a pair of these glasses, DO NOT USE THEM TO VIEW THE ECLIPSE. 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. We apologize for your inconvenience.”

By 7 a.m. the message had been shared more than 26,000 times.

But just before 9 a.m., a woman waiting to catch a bus near The Grove in Downtown Boise had not heard about the recall — and she had planned to use the Dutch Bros glasses she got Sunday at the State Street shop.

“They told me they were NASA certified,” Maryam Deen told the Statesman.

A man who sat outside TriTown Bicycles shop in Hyde Park during the eclipse said he was very angry about the glasses giveaway, in part because of the hassle of getting them but also because it turned out they might be unsafe.

They were given out free with drink purchase by Dutch Bros stands in Boise, Meridian, Nampa and Caldwell, starting at 5 a.m. Sunday. It was one of the last places that Valley residents were able to get them after stores sold out.

“I was at Dutch Bros by 4:40 in the morning. It took a little over an hour to get to the window,” said the man, who declined to be identified. “I don’t even drink coffee ... It ruined the whole day.”

This story was originally published August 21, 2017 at 7:04 AM with the headline "Dutch Bros recalls eclipse glasses."