DRIFT Coffee & Kitchen opens its newest Raleigh location at The Weld near Dix Park with a grand opening weekend featuring cycling, giveaways and support for Oaks & Spokes.
DRIFT Coffee & Kitchen will open its newest location Saturday, Aug. 15, at The Weld, bringing the North Carolina-born coffee shop’s mix of specialty coffee, breakfast and lunch to the edge of one of Raleigh’s most popular outdoor destinations—Dix Park.
And on opening day, every cup of coffee, breakfast, and lunch purchase will do a little more than fuel a walk—or a bike ride—through the park.
DRIFT will donate 100% of its sales on Saturday, Aug. 15, to Oaks & Spokes, the Raleigh nonprofit that advocates for safer streets and more connected communities through cycling and active transportation.
“We believe in the daily rituals that promote a life best lived. Spending time outdoors is an element of that,” says DRIFT co-founder Michael Powell. “When we heard the city’s priority to make Dix Park one of the best city parks in the country and the developers at The Weld approached us, we knew it would be a great fit.”
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Coffee Meets the Park
Founded by brothers Michael and Ben Powell in Ocean Isle Beach in 2014, DRIFT has grown from its coastal beginnings into a collection of coffee shops across North Carolina.
DRIFT pairs specialty coffee roasted in-house with an all-day menu of breakfast and lunch dishes built around minimally processed ingredients and globally influenced flavors. The goal is less grab-it-and-run coffee counter and more neighborhood gathering space—something particularly fitting when your neighbor happens to be Dix Park.
The new shop is located at 1000 Hammell Drive, inside Ray at The Weld, one of the residential buildings anchoring The Weld development.
For park visitors, it creates an easy stop before a morning walk, an afternoon picnic, or an exploration of Dix Park. For residents, cyclists, and nearby workers, it provides the rapidly developing area with another everyday destination.
A New Piece of The Weld
The Weld is emerging directly beside Dix Park as a mixed-use district that combines residences, restaurants, retail, and public gathering spaces within a walkable neighborhood.
DRIFT will occupy space within Ray at The Weld, a 20-story apartment tower featuring studios through three-bedroom apartments, as well as townhomes and penthouses. Amenities include a rooftop deck, resort-style pool, gym and views overlooking downtown Raleigh and Dix Park.
A Grand Opening on Two Wheels
DRIFT’s opening weekend will include giveaways, a scavenger hunt around The Weld and Dix Park, and a cycling celebration that ties the new location to another significant Raleigh milestone.
Saturday also marks a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Raleigh’s Greenway System.
In partnership with Oaks & Spokes, DRIFT is sponsoring the Coffee to Coffee Greenway Celebration, a community ride beginning at DRIFT’s Ridgewood location at 3510 Wade Ave. and ending at the new Dix Park shop.
Cyclists can choose from two routes: a roughly 10-mile out-and-back ride that travels almost entirely along Raleigh greenways, or a 24-mile loop that adds several short road connections.
The ride is open to cyclists of all experience levels, with riders gathering at the Ridgewood shop beginning at 8:30 a.m. and departing at approximately 9:15 a.m. Volunteers will help lead and sweep the shorter ride.
The first 50 guests on Saturday will receive a custom DRIFT tote, and visitors throughout opening weekend can participate in an interactive scavenger hunt around The Weld and the surrounding park area for a chance to collect additional prizes.
