Beloved Metro Detroit Coffee Shop Closing For Good This Weekend

FERNDALE, MI — A beloved Oakland County coffee shop is closing down for good this weekend.

Drifter Coffee, located along Woodward Heights in Ferndale, will permanently close down on Sunday.

Staff announced plans last year to expand the business into a larger space, but those plans were scrapped due to higher-than-expected repair costs for the new space.

They said those unexpected expenses have made it too difficult to stay open.

"Small businesses are incredibly hard to keep alive and we’ve done our best but this is the end of the road," staff said in a social media post. "This is obviously the worst news ever and we wouldn’t be making this decision if we hadn’t exhausted all resources and tried every idea and avenue to keep things going."

Staff asked customers to stop in the shop this weekend to enjoy a final drink, share fond memories and help raise money for the staff.

They launched a fundraiser to support the baristas and bakers after the business closes.

"Our staff is amazing, please send us a DM if you know of any places hiring so that we can get these beautiful humans back on their feet quickly," staff said. "We are so grateful for all the community support and outpouring of love that we have received since our very first day in the coffee camper and it’s truly sad that it’s ending."

Drifter Coffee began in 2015 as a mobile coffee shop in a 1971 Serro Scotty trailer known as the Caboose. They moved into the Woodward Heights space in 2018.