Hilltop Coffee opening soon near University City
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Hilltop Coffee, a boutique coffee shop catering to students, will open in Mallard Creek on Monday, March 3.
Why it matters: With only a handful of locally-owned coffee shops in the University City area, Hilltop's owners hope to fill a void for students and neighbors.
"Sometimes we have to drive so far to get nice things, so I think access is big to me," co-owner Joy Shiver tells Axios. "I want to provide that, and on the university level as well."
Flashback: The name "Hilltop" is a nod to Howard University's school newspaper, where owners Joy Shiver and Rashad Hart first met. They originally planned to open a shop at their alma mater, but when that fell through, they pivoted to opening a brick-and-mortar near University instead.
The vibe: The 1,250-square-foot boutique coffee shop has a French bistro-inspired design and seats about 20 people indoors and some outside on the patio.
- Shiver tells us their newspaper was their version of Instagram back in the 90s so they plan to showcase some of their vintage school papers.
- Local newspapers and books will also be available for customers to read for free in the coming months.
Dig in: In addition to standard coffee drinks, Hilltop will have seasonal flavors, homemade syrups and a large variety of loose-leaf teas.
- To start they'll have a few breakfast sandwiches and pastries.
- Eventually, the menu will grow to include cold press juices, paninis, smoothies, acai bowls, vegan and gluten-free food options and mini crab cake sandwiches.
"We want to promote wellness so we will have healthier options for college students. They actually really need the nutrients," said Shiver. "It was so backwards when we'd go to college and they're giving us burgers and fries because college students really need brain food."
Stop by: Find Hilltop Coffee at 10227 Mallard Creek Road. It'll be open 7am-3pm daily.
- In the coming months, they'll extend their hours of operation for special events and happy hour with beer on tap, wine, and frosé.