Our Shop

770 WOODWARD HTS, FERNDALE, MI 48220

We were so excited to open our doors at our brick-and-mortar location in March 2019 after nearly four years of traveling with the caboose! This location is a two-story community hub and coffee shop complete with a cafe, quiet area, and greenhouse.
Also, there’s a kickass, locally-sourced menu!

Our Mission:

To create community centered around respect for all humans, understanding of intersectionality, and damn tasty coffee.

Our Values:

drifter coffee is founded on:
respect for all humans: when you come into our shop or interact with us online, it is our responsibility to treat you with respect. we will take time to chat with you, provide you with the best product, and look forward to having you back. this also means that we will uphold a standard of respect for our team– be kind to your baristas and other folks around you.

understanding of intersectionality: intersectionality is defined as “the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage; a theoretical approach based on such a premise.” (oxford dictionary) at our shop, we are always working to better educate ourselves on the intersections of social and environmental justice. we strive to host community events and amplify the voices of marginalized groups in our neighborhood and industry. if you have ideas of ways we can further boost this value, please reach out!

mutual aid is defined as “the voluntary exchange of resources and services between members of a community to help each other meet their needs.” this is based on the idea that everyone has assets and needs, and believing that communities can create support networks for one another. we implement mutual aid practices regularly to support causes and organizations that fight injustice, benefit our immediate community, while also extending out in the world when we’re able.

diminishing our environmental impact is a priority to us. we source compostable paper and plastic alternatives locally to lower our footprint. we also compost food scraps and used coffee grounds daily, which is made possible through our partnership with the city of ferndale.

we strive to be the best version of ourselves on an individual level, but also as an entity by remaining committed to evolving with our industry. rejecting sedentary attitudes while holding the belief that there’s always more to learn. we embrace an open mindset which aids us in maintaining ever-changing growth as industry workers. we don’t strive to be the coolest shop, but the most welcoming.

damn tasty coffee: we don’t want our coffee to just taste good. every cup features locally sourced goods (shout out to our local roasting partners gooseneck coffee co, espresso roasters at hyperion coffee co + farming friends at midwest native landscaping, environmentally-friendly packaging (courtesy of greensafe products in detroit), and specialty fixings (like our house-made syrups or locally sourced calder dairy.) and further to that point, by supporting our small business, you’re supporting our team of baristas and bakers.

but yeah, it’s tasty, too.

Drifter Coffee began in 2015 as a mobile coffee shop in a 1971 Serro Scotty trailer known as the Caboose! We found it on Craigslist and gave it a Drifter-style renovation.

Since then, the Caboose has been a part of Eastern & Wayne State Farmers Markets, Mo Pop Festival, weddings, birthdays, and community events all over Michigan.

We have retired the Caboose since opening our shop, but thank you to everyone who ever visited us on the road!