Riverside Café will shut the doors of its Mount Vernon location on Nov. 22, the diner announced, after learning its landlord had decided to sell the building. The closure comes as Dutch Bros prepares to open Skagit County's first location, with city approval already secured for a small drive-thru building planned to replace the café.
The café broke the news in an Oct. 28 Facebook post, saying the landlord's decision to sell the building forced the decision, according to goSkagit. The restaurant, known for all-day breakfast, burgers and sandwiches, said it plans to search for a new space and remains hopeful about welcoming customers again somewhere new. Riverside Café still has an open location in Oak Harbor, which will continue operating regardless of what happens in Mount Vernon.
Dutch Bros Eyes Its First Skagit County Spot
While Riverside Café packs up, Dutch Bros is moving toward its debut in the county. Mount Vernon approved a site plan for the coffee chain in June, calling for a 1,025-square-foot building with two drive-thru lanes and walk-up service, per the same goSkagit report. The project traces back to a preapplication meeting held in September 2025 among Dutch Bros, a group called Grandview North, and the city, which focused on demolishing an existing building to make way for the new shop.
A Dutch Bros spokesperson told the outlet by email that the company had no information to share about the new location. Hourly pay rates for the future Mount Vernon shop also have not been made public, though the report noted that Dutch Bros job postings in Marysville and Everett have advertised broistas earning up to $28.77 an hour, including an average tip rate of $8 an hour — figures that apply to those cities, not necessarily Mount Vernon.
Neighbors Raised Traffic Concerns Last Year
The arrival hasn't been free of friction. A report from The Sentinel last October detailed worries from Sunset Drive resident Willie Johnson, who told the Mount Vernon City Council that a drive-thru could worsen congestion on his narrow cul-de-sac, noting that “the only exit off of the street is onto Broadway.”
Mount Vernon City Manager Nathan McKenna responded that the property is zoned commercial and that the Dutch Bros project qualifies as a permitted use, telling the council, “There was really nothing the city could do legally to stop the business from locating there.” At the time, the project's site and building plans had been submitted to the city engineer for review against state and local codes, and the house previously on the property had already been demolished with the site cleared for construction. The 2025 report noted that no firm completion timeline had been announced for the project, and no later date has surfaced since.
For now, Mount Vernon diners have a little over two weeks to grab a last plate at Riverside Café before the Nov. 22 closure. Where the café lands next, and when Dutch Bros will actually open its doors, remain open questions for a city watching one familiar storefront close as another chain prepares to move in.
