Chris Wood and Doug Lee are bringing a quick way to get locally brewed coffee to Red Bank.
The 25-year-old entrepreneurs, who previously worked at Java Moe's Coffee Company in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, have converted a long-vacant former Central Park restaurant into their new (be) caffeinated drive-through coffee shop in the Plaza North shopping center on Dayton Boulevard.
The new coffee outlet opened Monday in Red Bank offering locally brewed coffee from Velo and Mad Priest along with baked goods from Rembrandt's Coffee House. The local emphasis also includes the business's support of the Chattanooga FC Club with the branding for their most popular latte as the "Chattahooligan" - the name of the ardent fans supporting Chattanooga FC. A portion of sales will go to help support the the soccer club's youth programs, Wood said.
"We're trying to fill the void of a drive-through business for coffee lovers," he said. "We're trying to do good quality coffee as fast as possible for people on their way to work. We also want to be as local as possible."
A long vacant Central Park drive-through has been revamped and opens as coffee drive-through in Red Bank.Wood contends their coffee is better than Starbucks "and you get more of the coffee flavor and less of the sugar." The Red Bank location is ideal in a city that has become commercially stronger in recent years.
Lynn Chesnutt, director of the Tennessee Small Business Development Center in Chattanooga, helped the pair study the market and its potential for another coffee shop.
"There aren't any drive-through stores of this kind offering locally brewed coffee and with the volume of traffic in and through this area, it looks like a great location," Chesnutt said. "And everybody has to have coffee."
(Be) caffeinated features its signature drink, a latte with white chocolate and caramel known as the Chattahooligan and its Gig City Mocha with dark chocolate and caramel in 16-, 20- and 24-ounce sizes ranging from $4.50 to $5.50 a cup.
Regular coffee is sold from $1.50 a cup and up and (be) caffeinated also features frappes and cold brew coffees, hot tea, hot chocolate, chai and expresso shots, among other drinks.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or at 757-6340.