Christy Deen had been in the food and beverage industry for 20 years, including stints with Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks, when inspiration struck. She had traveled out to the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Martin, and saw drive thru coffee stands throughout the area.

“These were small, had a tiny footprint, and I could manage starting one on my own,” said Deen. “It took some time to get it started because it wasn’t a prevalent concept in the Southeast, but after explaining it to the county and state, it got approved.”

Located at 50 Hwy 138 West, Drip-Thru prides itself on serving a high-quality cup of coffee, fast, and with exemplary customer service.

“We are tiny, but mighty,” said Deen. “Our focus is on a person getting a cup of coffee, maybe a grab and go pastry, and being in and out in under two minutes. We’re a part of people’s daily commute and we have a lot of regulars.”

The coffee is organically grown in Guatemala, roasted by Café Campesino coffee roasters in Americus, Georgia, and ground to brew at Drip-Thru.

“We have the freshest cup of coffee in a drive-thru, hands down,” said Deen.

The stand is operated by two staff members during rush times and drivers order at either window of the two-sided drive thru. The menu is streamlined, but features many of the typical offerings of a coffee shop. In addition to serving items from Holey Sweet Donuts in Stockbridge and other items from Engelman’s Bakery in Atlanta, Drip-Thru also offers grab and go items like oatmeal that can fit in your cup holder. While speed is of the essence, customer service does not suffer.

“It’s important for us to get customer service right 100 percent of the time,” said Deen. “We encourage our customers to take a sip before they drive off so that they can make sure it’s perfect.”

Deen, a native of Jonesboro wanted to open a store in Stockbridge because it was the site of her first job.

“It was important to me to bring business back to where I started,” said Deen.

There is now an additional Drip-Thru location in College Park near Woodward Academy, and Deen hopes to open more locations in the future.

“It has been wonderful to see all of the support we have received and hear all the good word of mouth,” said Deen. “We really value that connection and couldn’t do what we do without it.”

By Mike Boylan

For more information on Drip-Thru Coffee, visit dripthrucoffee.com.