Erika Hodges always knew one coffee shop wasn’t going to be enough.
After becoming the sole owner of River Brew in River Bend last August, Hodges said she almost immediately began thinking about opening a second location.
“I knew from the beginning I was going to expand, when I do things, I do them big,” Hodges said. “I couldn’t just do all this work and only have one store. I was just trying to find the perfect spot.”
Hodges finally found what she was looking for at 1904 Glenburnie Road. Over the last few months she has been working to turn the former site of Thee Coffeehouse into a second River Brew location.
As of Thursday, Hodges said she is planning to hold a grand opening for the new store on August 5. She said the new River Brew site will carry on the tradition of offering menu items with a homemade, local flavor. The store’s coffee comes exclusively from Bellator Roasting Company on Trent Boulevard.
“They roast the beans and then deliver the same day,” Hodges said. “That’s the only coffee we carry.”
Asked to name River Brew’s most popular items, Hodges was quick to point out the homemade chicken salad and handcrafted frappes. Though the menu only lists six varieties of frappe — orange creamsicle, bubble gum, banana pudding, nutty buddy, chocolate covered strawberry and S’Mores — she said the store offers at least a dozen kinds.
“They can either have coffee in them or no coffee. They’re more like milkshakes, and if you want an espresso in there to give it a kick, we can do that,” Hodges said. “We make them low fat, low calorie, low sugar, whatever anybody wants we can do.”
River Brew has also begun offering homemade ice cream from the Ice Cream Factory, a small company out of Missouri. Hodges said River Brew is the first store in North Carolina to offer the ice cream.
“The cakes, the candy and the cookies in it are all homemade also,” she said.
Other items on the River Brew menu include egg and cheese sandwiches with a choice of bacon, sausage, and ham as well as cold cuts and paninis. The business also serves charcuterie trays and baked goods such as cinnamon rolls, muffins, cookies and croissants.
Hodges said the new Glenburnie Road location will come with a few upgrades, including a drive-thru and expanded dining and kitchen areas. The overall ambience, however, will preserve the original store’s decidedly eclectic flavor, she noted.
“The first thing we’re going to do is have everybody start writing on the walls,” she said. “They’re blank canvases so I would love it if everybody got in there and did that. You grew up being told that you weren’t allowed to write on the walls, but in here you can.”
The new River Brew will also maintain one of the first store’s most original features — hand painted chairs with the faces of music stars such as Ray Charles, Elton John, Dolly Parton, Adele and Lady Gaga that were fashioned by local artist Jerry Scott.
One corner of the new store will be devoted to what Hodges describes as a vendor store where local artisans can rent space to sell their crafts such as soap, clothing, candles, dog treats and other items.
Hodges said providing a safe haven for the community to gather in friendship fulfills a personal goal she’s had since her days working as a deputy with the Craven County Sheriff’s Office.
“This was something different where I could still be a part of the community and still have a safe place for people to come to, a place where it’s like home,” she explained. “I just want to help people and this is kind of my way to do that for those who want company or are alone or whatever they’re going through. I feel like a coffee bartender.”
By Todd Wetherington, co-editor. Send an email with questions or comments.