A local coffeehouse has returned to Saluda Avenue in Five Points, nearly two years after the popular Adriana’s shut its doors.
But owner Sean McCrossin said that while Drip seems to fill a void, the experience there is unique.
Each cup of coffee is brewed individually, he said Wednesday as The Louvin Brothers played in the background. It sounded like old-time country, but McCrossin — who once owned indie music store CD Alley in North Carolina — called it “satire.”
Prices range from $1.85 for a small coffee to $4.95 for an espresso milkshake.
The shop, which employs six, sells breakfast sandwiches and, in the next few weeks, will begin serving lunch. It also sells beer and wine, and McCrossin is awaiting a permit from the city for outdoor seating.
Drip is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. this summer, Mondays through Saturdays. It opens at 8 a.m. on Sundays. But before school starts back Aug. 1, McCrossin will extend the hours to 10 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, and to 9 p.m. on Sundays.
On the third day the shop was open, it was packed at 1:30 p.m. with folks ordering smoothies and double-shot espresso. Others sat at the marble counter studying textbooks, worked on laptops at wooden tables or held spirited group conversations like they had been coming there for years.
“I’m very impressed. It’s beautiful,” said Kirill Simin, who worked at Adriana’s for two years before it closed and was in Drip for the first time Wednesday. Drip is in a 1,200-square-foot former jewelry store several doors down from where Adriana’s used to be.
Simin said he is a big supporter of buying local and plans to visit Drip often.
It’s people like Simin that McCrossin is counting on to keep his business thriving — even with a Starbucks a few doors down the street.
McCrossin — who sold a coffee shop in Charleston 11/2 years ago — said Starbucks fills its niche well, but “there’s a huge mentality out there that people like to shop locally.”
If the first week is any indication, there is room for both coffee shops in Five Points.
“It’s gone well,” McCrossin said. “There was, obviously, a void here, so we’ve been really, really busy.”
Shop shorts
• It’s almost time to get your hot doughnuts on Clemson Road. Krispy Kreme opens a new store at 110 Clemson Road, near its intersection with Interstate 20, at 6 a.m. Tuesday. If you get in line early enough, you could win free doughnuts for a year, a free T-shirt or at least a Krispy Kreme “chef’s hat.” The ribbon-cutting is at 11 a.m. Free samples will be offered throughout the day.
• It’s Fashion Metro opened its newest store recently in the Landmark Square shopping center at 6820 Garner’s Ferry Road. The value retailer – a member of the Cato Corp. — offers fashions for the entire family from newborns to big men’s sizes, as well as shoes and accessories. Andrea Beard of Columbia is the manager.
• Looking for a one-stop shop for bill paying? Krazy Cell in Elgin has the answer. The company, at 10890-C Two Notch Road, has launched a “Pay All Bills” service. The service can be used to pay any bill electronically and is targeted to those who do not have bank accounts.
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