Dripolator Coffee Flows Into Fourth Cafe in East Asheville

Inside the new Dripolator Coffee location in East Asheville, North Carolina. Photo by Screech Street Photography, courtesy of Dripolator.

Like water through a bed of coffee grounds, North Carolina-based Dripolator Coffee has produced something warm and comforting in East Asheville: a new neighborhood coffee shop. 

The stretched out fourth Dripolator location in the Asheville area features hallmark elements such as stylish and comfortable furniture, a smooth white quartz bar, a statement wall with boldly patterned wallpaper and eye-catching pendants illuminating bar where house-roasted coffees become espresso-based beverages.

Photo by Screech Street Photography, courtesy of Dripolator.

“We usually have a nod to midcentury modern decor in each store, but we love to feature many different styles of furniture to keep things interesting and eclectic,” Dripolator Co-Owner Josh Valdes told Daily Coffee News. “Our goal for the interior of each shop is to create a pretty third place where patrons feel comfortable but are also impressed by the vibe.”

Dripolator was founded by Amy Vermillion in 1999 with its first shop in nearby Black Mountain, prior to launching its in-house roasting operation in 2008. The company opened a second cafe  in Candler in 2022, then a third cafe in Gerber Village. 

Photo by Screech Street Photography, courtesy of Dripolator.

Valdes first bonded with Dripolator as a customer, then became a barista before joining as a business partner in 2021. A third partner, and contractor-by-trade, Chris Bolick, builds the company’s bars using high-quality quartz countertops “because they’re sexy and durable,” according to Valdes.

Among Dripolator’s four shops, the new location has the distinction of a long shotgun-style layout. Renovations to the 1,800-square-foot building with high ceilings began last Spring with the goal of preserving the existing wood-paneled accent wall.

Photo by Screech Street Photography, courtesy of Dripolator.

All of Dripolator’s coffees are roasted by head roaster Mandy Hobert on a Diedrich IR-7 machine. Green coffees are purchased primarily from Cafe Imports, with some greens coming through Ally Coffee or Royal Coffee.

“We have been working the past few years to really narrow in on our market and what we feel our customer base is looking for,” said Valdes. “This tends to be away from the Nordic style, and more towards full city to tastefully darker roasted coffee… I think we are going a little grassroots, trying to appeal to demographics that both appreciate subtle, light flavors, while still capturing the audience who think of darker roasts with fondness.”

Photo by Screech Street Photography, courtesy of Dripolator.

Photo by Screech Street Photography, courtesy of Dripolator.

Dripolator Coffee is located at 811 Tunnel Road, Unit B, in Asheville. Tell DCN’s editors about your new coffee shop or roastery here. 

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