DRiP Espresso - Espresso.Community.Culture

By Terry L. Watson

Photos Provided by DRiP Espresso

There is an adage that it takes two to make a thing go right; well, in the case of DRiP Espresso, a collaboration of three minds has made the difference. Keiona Williamson, Jasmine Bronson, and Taylor White, all natives of Sacramento, own DRIP Espresso in Sacramento, CA. Their company is a local gathering spot known for its award-winning specialty drinks, Bomb Bites, and good vibes.

One of their best sellers is Melanated Mocha, an espresso brewed into premium chocolate with a dash of cayenne pepper. They make many spiced lattes, including the Cuff It, a housemade brown sugar and spice latte, and their Golden Hour, a Tumeric, Ginger, and Cinnamon latte. The DRIP Espresso’s Bomb Bites include loaded Avocado Toast made with fresh, locally baked salted lemon, rosemary sourdough, avocado, tomato, and in-house pickled purple onions. The bites are topped with fried garlic and chili oil. Their menu also includes a Strawberry Cinnamon Roll Pop Tart.

DRIP Espresso opened its doors in March 2022. The three entrepreneurs first dreamed of opening Good Vibes Vegan in their hometown Sacramento, CA. “The dream was a vegan soul food shop that Jas’s mother, Jaeda, and stepfather, Lenny, meant to open before the Covid-19 pandemic. With lockdowns delaying our grand opening and Lenny’s passing due to chronic illness, Jaeda postponed her dream, subleased her space, and sold her equipment,” the group shares.

Around this time, Keiona wanted to open a community coffee shop in a different part of town with free Wi-Fi, fresh food options, and a space for people to feel alive. She convinced Jasmine they could find a space, buy Jaeda’s equipment, and be up and running quickly. With perfect timing, Jeada asked Jasmine and Keona, “Should ya’ll sublease this place instead?” Jasmine and Keona scrambled their money together, called their shared baby sister Taylor, who matched their contributions and paid $5000 to Jaeda to lease the space. They got the keys to their new shop by October 1, 2021, and DRIP Espresso was born.

The trio of business owners share they love their community and the customers that support them. “When people come to DRIP, we try to make it an experience. From our staff to our space, we want your time in DRIP to be the best part of your day,” they said.

While it has only been a few years since opening, they have faced some challenges in building their business. They share, “Our biggest challenge is capital. We have bootstrapped our business mainly from the ground up. We didn’t start with a big investment, loan, or tons of saved money, but have fundraised, applied for grants, and given lots of our personal funds to get through the awkward phases of starting a business.” Yet, they are determined to succeed regardless of any hurdle or obstacle that may present itself.

Business ownership is something Taylor was familiar with before DRIP Espresso. She grew up watching her grandmother succeed as a serial entrepreneur. “Every weekend, she’d take us to flea markets while she sold goods she bought and repurposed from thrift stores and vintage shops. She also ran a community daycare in the neighborhood we grew up in, and our uncles owned barber shops and music labels,” she says. Jasmine’s parents, Lenny and Jaeda, were also serial entrepreneurs. Jaeda owned a popular hair care business in Sacramento and a popular vegan pop-up. “We’ve all had examples of hustling and building destinies within our families. It is important to us to continue that legacy,” they shared.

Owning a business in the heart of the Sacramento community means they are committed to serving and meeting the needs of their customers. They say, “Community is first in everything we do. We believe in building with our vendors, customers, and peer businesses. We call our customers “The Besties” because we know we stand for something as a business. We hope to attract a community of patrons who believe in what we believe in.”

The owners of DRiP Espresso hope to launch a private label of coffee beans. They will also start looking for a second location soon, as their vision is to see DRiP worldwide.

www.dripespresso.coffee