Drift Coffee & Kitchen Opens New Dix Park Location on August 15

GRAND OPENING WEEKEND FEATURES COMMUNITY CYCLING and OTHER FAMILY EVENTS, GREENWAY CELEBRATION, and INTRODUCES NEW GATHERING PLACE at THE WELD

100% of Grand Opening Day Sales Will Be Donated to Oaks & Spokes

RALEIGH, N.C. (August 15, 2026) – DRIFT is excited to announce the grand opening of its newest location at Dix Park, welcoming guests beginning Saturday, August 15, 2026. Situated adjacent to one of Raleigh’s most beloved public spaces, the new coffee shop is designed to serve as a gathering place where visitors can enjoy thoughtfully crafted coffee, fresh food, and meaningful connection before or after exploring the park.

Since opening its first coffee shop in Ocean Isle Beach in 2014, DRIFT has grown across North Carolina with a mission to inspire modern wellness through coffee, food, and connection. The new Dix Park coffee shop continues that mission by creating a welcoming space for park visitors, neighbors, cyclists, families, and the surrounding Raleigh community.

A New Gathering Place at The Weld

DRIFT is proud to become part of The Weld, Raleigh’s newest mixed-use destination at Dix Park, designed to bring together dining, retail, residences, and public gathering spaces in one walkable community. Adjacent to the city’s most iconic parks, The Weld creates an inviting environment where residents, visitors, and neighbors can connect, explore, and enjoy the outdoors.

Located within Ray at The Weld, one of the development’s new luxury apartment communities, DRIFT will serve as a daily destination for residents looking to grab their morning coffee, enjoy breakfast or lunch, meet with friends, or unwind after a walk through Dix Park. Ray at The Weld,  a 20-story, high-rise apartment community offers a mix of studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom apartments, townhomes and penthouses. Amenities include a roof-deck, resort-style pool, outdoor ping pong and foosball tables, expansive gym with TRX equipment, and downtown and park views, among others.

Developed by SLI Capital and Mack Real Estate Group, The Weld represents a significant investment in Raleigh’s continued growth, bringing together residential living, local businesses, and community-focused public spaces adjacent to Dix Park. The Weld is centered on shaping a vibrant neighborhood that encourages community, wellness, and connection—values that have always been central to DRIFT.

"We believe in the daily rituals that promote a life best lived. Spending time outdoors is an element of that. When we heard the city's priority to make Dix Park one of the best city parks in the country and the developers at The Weld approached us, we knew it would be a great fit."

— Michael Powell, Co-Founder, DRIFT

Learn more about The Weld at theweld.com.

Grand Opening Celebration

To celebrate the opening of DRIFT Coffee & Kitchen Dix Park, guests are invited to enjoy a weekend of community events and exclusive grand opening experiences. On Saturday, August 15, the first 50 guests will receive a complimentary custom DRIFT tote. Throughout the weekend, visitors can take part in an interactive scavenger hunt around The Weld and surrounding Dix Park area, with participants having the opportunity to redeem special prizes at the coffee shop. In partnership with Oaks & Spokes, the celebration will also include the Coffee to Coffee Greenway Celebration, featuring two community bike rides connecting DRIFT’s Raleigh coffee shops via the city’s greenway system and concluding at the new Dix Park location. Together, these events are designed to bring the community together while celebrating Raleigh’s newest gathering place.

Opening Weekend Hours: 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Location: 1000 Hammell Dr., Raleigh, NC 27603

Partnering with Oaks & Spokes

As part of DRIFT’s commitment to building community, the grand opening weekend will feature a partnership with Oaks & Spokes to celebrate the opening of the new Dix Park coffee shop and support active transportation throughout Raleigh.

To commemorate both DRIFT’s opening and the 50th Anniversary of Raleigh’s Greenway System, Oaks & Spokes will host its Coffee to Coffee Greenway Celebration, sponsored by DRIFT, on Saturday, August 15. Riders will gather at DRIFT’s Ridgewood location before cycling to the new Dix Park coffee shop via Raleigh’s greenway network. Participants can choose between a 10-mile out-and-back route that stays almost entirely on the greenway or a 24-mile loop featuring a few short road connections. The ride is open to cyclists of all experience levels. [starting time? Where to find more information/register?]

Following the ride, participants and community members are invited to continue the festivities at DRIFT’s new Dix Park location. 100% of all sales on Saturday, August 15, will be donated to Oaks & Spokes, allowing every coffee, meal, and purchase made that day to directly support the organization’s work to create safer, more connected communities through cycling and active transportation.

About DRIFT

Founded in 2014 in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, DRIFT is a collection of coffee shops built around exceptional coffee, thoughtfully prepared food, and meaningful connection. DRIFT pairs high-end specialty coffee with all-day breakfast and lunch offerings, creating welcoming spaces where guests can gather, slow down, and enjoy memorable hospitality experiences.

Founded by brothers Michael and Ben Powell, DRIFT’s roots are inspired by a love of exploration, community, and culture. Growing up as competitive surfers, the founders traveled around the world in search of new surf destinations and were introduced to the unique role coffee shops play in bringing people together. Those experiences shaped DRIFT’s mission to create spaces that capture the same sense of connection, creativity, and belonging found in coffee shops around the world.

DRIFT’s menu is inspired by global traditions and a commitment to serving food and beverages that are minimally processed, nutritious, flavorful, and made with intention. From fresh breakfast and lunch offerings prepared in-house to premium coffee roasted in house, DRIFT focuses on quality ingredients, thoughtful preparation, and creating experiences that encourage guests to pause, connect, and savor the moment.

With locations across North Carolina, DRIFT continues to grow while remaining committed to its mission of inspiring modern wellness through coffee, food, and connection. Learn more at https://Driftcoffee.kitchen and follow @driftcoffee.kitchen on Instagram.

About Oaks & Spokes

Oaks & Spokes is a Raleigh-based nonprofit organization dedicated to making cycling safer, more accessible, and more connected throughout the Triangle. For more than a decade, the organization has advocated for safer streets, organized community rides, expanded bike education programs, and championed infrastructure that encourages people of all ages and abilities to ride. Today, Oaks & Spokes continues to promote active transportation by connecting people and places while fostering healthier, more vibrant communities across Raleigh. For more information visit oaksandspokes.org or follow @oaksandspokes on Instagram. 

About Mack Real Estate Group

Mack Real Estate Group, LLC (MREG) is an institutional real estate investment firm with roots in several Mack family real estate businesses dating back to the 1960s. Today, MREG’s vertically integrated equity and credit businesses have offices across the U.S. including New York, Seattle, Phoenix, Raleigh, and South Florida. MREG’s equity business specializes in the acquisition, development and ownership of multifamily, industrial, retail and other asset classes located in gateway and high-growth markets. MREG’s portfolio of current and realized investments represents nearly 14,000 multifamily units, 22 million square feet of industrial space, and more than 2 million square feet of retail space, including the firm’s development and pre-development pipeline. The firm’s affiliated credit business, Mack Real Estate Credit Strategies, L.P. (MRECS), has originated, co-originated, and acquired more than $20 billion of loans since 2015 across multiple lending strategies. MRECS invests across the capital stack through various public and private vehicles, and an MRECS affiliate manages Claros Mortgage Trust, Inc. (NYSE: CMTG), a publicly traded commercial mortgage REIT. For more information, visit www.mackregroup.com and follow Mack Real Estate Group on LinkedIn.

About SLI

SLI Capital ("SLI") is a real estate investment and development firm headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. The firm invests across property types, including multifamily, retail, mixed-use, and commercial assets, with a particular emphasis on the Southeast Sunbelt markets. Since its founding in 2017, SLI has invested in projects and platforms representing more than $1.5 billion in total expected capitalization.