Rise and Grind, the coffee truck on the corner of Court and Union Streets, has expanded. The business now has a brick-and-mortar location at 23 E. Stimson Ave. which opened Jan. 8.
Owner Brandon Buckley said he originally had “zero interest” in expanding into a storefront, but the opportunity fell into his lap and was too good to pass up. Buckley also owns a pizza food truck, A-Town Pies and Fries.
“I didn’t have to do any plumbing or electric,” Buckley said. “Everything was already set up for a coffee shop, the bathrooms, the floor. We just had to do some cosmetic changes. I would have been dumb not to do the move.”
The Rise and Grind coffee truck has been around Athens since 2023, meaning Buckley already had fans and supporters when he opened the storefront.
Angie and Chris Pyle, owners of Donkey Coffee on Washington Street, stopped by the shop to try out the pastries and bring flowers to celebrate the one-week milestone.
“I really like Brandon; he’s been coming to Donkey for a long time,” Angie Pyle said. “He’s very friendly. Anyone opening a small business is insane in a small town. I just like to support anyone who opens a small business.”
Angie and Chris Pyle also said the Stimson Avenue location is easier for them to access as Athens residents because it has a parking lot and indoor seating.
Buckley said prices at the store are comparable to prices at the truck, though drinks are roughly 25 cents more expensive. He said the slight increase accounts for rent and rising costs, adding that the coffee tariffs are “really hurting us.”
“My normal coffee order per week was about $420 a week and now it's $915 a week, so I’m trying to weather the storm a little bit, not really pass that on and try to keep people coming in,” Buckley said.
Buckley also highlighted the many local businesses and artists who contributed to the shop. Jackie O’s Bakeshop goods are served at the coffee shop, which Buckley described as “a good partner relationship without being in business together.”
Local artist and Ohio University student Ryan Steere created the space-themed art wall. The shop proudly serves Dirty Girl Coffee, uses milk from Memory Lane and features branding by Tim Martin, owner of Red Tail Design Company, who designed the logos, cups, signs and menus, and even branded the logos onto the tables.
The menu at the store is currently identical to the truck's, but Buckley said new additions are coming.
“We’ll be doing frappes, different types of drip coffees, different roasts,” Buckley said. “Down here is definitely more of the hot lattes than it is uptown with the iced lattes.”
Buckley said his vision for the new location was to create a comfortable, relaxing space where people can work, stay and chat. Every piece of furniture was hand-picked, from the sofas to the large chairs by the fireplace.
There are also plans to build an outdoor patio this summer.
“Having a really nice sitting area, that’s one thing that Athens lacks, is really good outdoor seating for coffee,” Buckley said.
The storefront is currently open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, though Buckley said those hours will be reevaluated in a few months.
“We might go to 6:30 in the morning,” Buckley said. “Evening time, we’re hoping to see a little bit of study groups come in later. I’ve had a lot of people tell me it’s nice that they don’t have to go uptown. Those hours could go later, they could go earlier, right now for the next couple months we’ll be 7:00 a.m to 7:00 p.m.”
The shop’s location makes it easy to access without navigating traffic on East State or Court Streets. Buckley said more additions are planned in the future, including online ordering.
“We hope that they succeed because we need more local businesses like this,” Chris Pyle said.
