DRIP Coffee Combining Coffee And Culture
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A new coffee shop is coming to town in Sacramento. Their mission is bigger than espresso, serving up a hot cup filled with culture and community.
It's a coffee shop that's meant to feel more like home - with personal touches of Keiona Williamson's favorite books and black art filling the space.
"It really needed to be inclusive of our identities and be a space where people felt welcomed," she explained.
Williamson and her two sisters own DRiP Midtown's newest coffee shop, that's brewing much more than hot drinks.
"If we are going to do anything we are going to make sure we are busting doors open for people who identify in the same ways that we identify; which is women, black, family, and disenfranchised in some ways," Williamson explained.
The sister's mission is to use coffee to support community and culture. In an industry where 69 percent of coffee roasters are white- the sisters are sourcing all their coffee and ingredients from people of color, women, and LGBTQ vendors.
"We want to make sure that we are the type of business owners that aren't out just for profit but for social good as well," she said. "It was really important for us that we adopt a model that was going to support not only our families but the families of people who may not get the chance in the current traditional coffee industry."
DRiP is one of 5 black-owned coffee shops listed in Sacramento.
"We are needed here," explained Azizza Davis Goines, CEO/President of Sacramento's Black Chamber of Commerce.
The Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce helps support dozens of black-owned businesses in the region. Representation they say is crucial for the city.
"We are part of the economic development we are part of that engine that helps to keep this city going. So, these black businesses deserve to be recognized and deserve all of the tools that they need to grow," said Davis Goines.
A coffee community serving culture they hope customers will savor.
"When you come in here there is nothing but good energy, good vibes," Williamson said.
Drip eventually plans to use their space to create civic engagement, providing information on the latest political and social issues.