Plymouth-Based Coffee Roaster to Shack Up With Drifter Coffee in New Ferndale Cafe

Work is well underway at Drifter Coffee’s new suburban cafe. The wandering trailer cafe founded by Alleah Webb was originally estimated to open last spring, but is now on track for a February debut in Ferndale’s Iron Ridge District development with a second business on board, according to a release.

Drifter struck up a deal over the summer to share its two-story building at 770 Woodward Heights with Gooseneck Coffee Co. The Gooseneck crew will serve as the cafe’s in-house roaster. Gooseneck has been operating out of Plymouth since 2015 and began selling beans at community events and farmers markets. In 2017, the founders had a successful crowdfunding campaign for new roasting equipment and began their search for a larger roasting facility. At Drifter, Gooseneck will occupy a greenhouse-like structure at the back of the building.

Drifter is working with Voyager and Lovers Only architects Five/Eighths on the design for the new 1,600-square-foot space, which will seat roughly 45 people. The coffee bar will be located on the first floor with a casual seating area on the second floor.

Leading up to the opening, Webb and her team are continuing to host pop-ups in the Iron Ridge District at retail shop Whimsical Wit. The next event is being hosted on Saturday, December 15 and features coffee, treats from Spun Sugar Detroit, and gifts, and photos with santa. Stay tuned for more updates on the project as it moves forward.

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