Olaf Growald
Ashley Davis and Miguel Hernandez, owners of 5AM Drip
5AM Drip is arguably one of the more offbeat coffee shops you'll find around Fort Worth — perhaps the only place you can get orange juice with a shot of espresso, tofu breakfast quesadillas, and a jackfruit barbecue sandwich off an all-vegan menu. Then there's the location: the multicolored shipping container development, Connex, on Evans Avenue just east of Interstate 35.
The shipping container is cool-looking and all, but owners Ashley Davis and Miguel Hernandez admit it has its limitations, particularly when it comes to kitchen space and seating. The duo currently do all their cooking and coffee-making within a 164-square-foot box, with seating only available on the patio and another shipping container adjacent to the shop.
So, 5AM Drip is looking to move — launching a GoFundMe page in hopes of raising $75,000 to help fund a bigger space.
"We're very passionate about offering the vegan part of the food," Davis says. "Plant-based is growing, and we want to be able to continue to keep that alive."
A desire to expand food offerings played a big part in 5AM Drip's decision to relocate. Davis says the menu has grown increasingly popular since the shop opened a little over a year ago (so much so, that Fort Worth Magazine readers voted 5AM Drip Best Vegan/Vegetarian in the 2021 Best of Fort Worth competition). They'd like the shop to have more of a café-esque vibe, adding salads, more brunch items, and gluten-free options.
"I've always called [the Connex location] a 'sandwich box' because that's kind of what we've done," Hernandez says. "[We're] tapping into a healthy option for the area. Green stuff, things that are colorful."
Davis says they're looking to stay in the same area, hoping to locate a new space before 5AM Drip's lease ends in November 2022. The reason for the GoFundMe, she says, is to drum up community involvement in the move.
"It has been tough for all small businesses," Davis says. "[We're] trying to rally the community in order to help expand into something bigger."
