Five years after opening in the old Fuel Cafe spot at 818 E. Center St., Riverwest coffee shop The Daily Bird has announced its final day of business: October 31, 2026.
“This decision has not been an easy one,” owner Dan Zwart wrote on social media Wednesday afternoon. “I have never worked harder on something in my entire life. I’m extremely proud of The Daily Bird and what we have built. I’ll be forever grateful for this neighborhood embracing us and showing us love every day for five years.
“With that being said, I am burned out,” Zwart continued. “I do not have the energy to give that this shop, employees, and you deserve. I wanna be a more present father and human and it is impossible for me to turn this place off.”
A bit of good news amidst the bad is that the space will soon be home to a new coffee shop.
“The space will continue as a coffee shop,” Zwart wrote. “I will let them introduce themselves when they are ready to do so. The amazing staff will continue being amazing at the new shop. I will not be doing any interviews about all this.”
The Daily Bird opened in October 21, 2021, roughly one year after Fuel closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here’s the full Daily Bird message:
October 31, 2026 will be the last day The Daily Bird will be open.
First off I want to thank all of you. This was all a crazy idea that would’ve not been possible without y’alls support over the years.
Thank you Dylan, Elena and Cole for pouring yourselves into this place and getting it off the ground. Without them this place would not exist. Thank you Pat and Peg for letting us use the Centro window in the pop up days.
This place has been a team effort from the get go and has been influenced by everyone involved and has made it such a special place. We wanted to be a warm welcoming place for everyone that comes in and I think we have done a good job of doing that.
This decision has not been an easy one. I have never worked harder on something in my entire life. I’m extremely proud of the Daily Bird and what we have built. I’ll be forever grateful for this neighborhood embracing us and showing us love everyday for five years.
With that being said, I am burned out. I do not have the energy to give that this shop, employees, and you deserve. I wanna be a more present father and human and it is impossible for me to turn this place off.
The space will continue as a coffee shop. I will let them introduce themselves when they are ready to do so. The amazing staff will continue being amazing at the new shop. I will not be doing any interviews about all this.
Thank you for everything.
You are loved.
The Daily Bird
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