Drifter Coffee
Cafe · Ferndale ·
Pastries, tea, juices, wine, beer, cocktails, and espresso drinks
Pastries, tea, juices, wine, beer, cocktails, and espresso drinks
"Just past the train tracks is a coffee shop that embraced Ferndale as home after years of running a mobile coffee trailer. The multi-level shop embraces the greenhouse vibes with a seating area that spills out into a spacious patio covered in wood chips, which is both kid- and pet-friendly. On the menu, expect a full complement of espresso beverages with homemade syrups and bagel sandwiches, salads, soups, and baked goods (some sourced from local purveyors and others made in-house). Social media is updated with upcoming makers’ markets, fundraisers, community meetups, and book clubs. It’s also where seasonal specials are updated. The shop also plans to move to the west side of Ferndale, on Livernois and Fielding, in the coming year." - Courtney Burk
"Now, though, establishments that may never have considered carryout service via sliding window are adapting it into their business model. Like patio seating and plexiglass, walk-up windows and drive-thrus are quickly becoming a fixture in metro Detroit’s new world of novel coronavirus dining. Drifter Coffee, Yellow Light Coffee & Donuts, and Mudgie’s Deli and Wine Shop are among those businesses that have joined the ranks of window takeout." - Brenna Houck
"In Ferndale, I observed Drifter Coffee shift toward offering grocery items in lieu of the shop’s regular coffee service: inventory lists are updated daily and customers can place orders through social media for local delivery, with items like oat milk, olive oil, and cocoa powder as well as home goods such as toilet paper, trash bags, and parchment paper." - Brenna Houck
"The coffee shop will be closed July 4–8 for an extended holiday break." - Brenna Houck
"I've seen work well underway on the new suburban outpost of the wandering trailer cafe founded by Alleah Webb: Drifter Coffee is now on track for a February debut in Ferndale’s Iron Ridge District and will share a two-story, 1,600-square-foot building at 770 Woodward Heights with a second business. The space is planned to seat roughly 45 people, with the coffee bar on the first floor and a casual seating area on the second, and Drifter is working with Voyager and Lovers Only architects Five/Eighths on the design. Leading up to the opening, Webb and her team have been hosting pop-ups in the Iron Ridge District at retail shop Whimsical Wit (the next event is Saturday, December 15 and will feature coffee, treats from Spun Sugar Detroit, gifts, and photos with Santa)." - Brenna Houck
