Slow Drip Mobile Coffee is owned by Brandon and Emme Shover. They opened their coffee truck in July of 2022 after realizing they wanted to play a bigger role in the community. The couple met at Shawnee State University and started their family in Portsmouth. After college, they regularly attended community events and wanted to help. They decided to support those events with coffee.
The biggest difference between Slow Drip and other local coffee shops is that their business is mobile, but their coffee itself also makes them stand out.
“Most of our drinks are espresso-based,” said Mr. Shover. “The coffee we use for espresso is a medium roast blend from Grindstone. Most espresso blends you’ll find in our area are dark roasts that provide a really smoky, maybe sometimes even ashy or bitter-tasting experience.”
Slow Drip posts their schedule every week on Facebook and Instagram, though their locations do not typically change from one week to the next. Most of the time, you can find their truck, Bonnie, in downtown Portsmouth.
“Bonnie was actually the truck’s name before we owned it,” said Mr. Shover. “Bonnie has been a coffee truck for a long while now. Our roaster, Grindstone Coffeeology from Huntington, West Virginia, started out operating in Bonnie for several years before opening a café/drive thru. When we bought the truck, we knew we’d keep the name because she has such a unique look.”
The Shovers have additionally felt supported by their community.
“It’s been amazing to get to know people that have become our regulars, learn what they love about coffee and see them get excited about new drinks we put together,” Mr. Shover said. “It feels like Portsmouth has really embraced us, and Bonnie, and we’re incredibly thankful for that.”
