WOODFIN, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Lucy Crown retired in June 2026 after 20 years working for the government. Two months later, her latest venture is already flourishing. Woodfin Coffee Department, a new coffee shop and café, is now open at 126 Elkwood Ave. in the Lakeshore Drive neighborhood of Woodfin, N.C.
Lucy Crown purchased the store with her husband, Jared Crown, about a decade ago. While various tenants have occupied the building in that time, earlier this year, the Crowns decided to take over. Woodfin Coffee Department quietly launched in May 2026.
It would not be quiet for long. From the moment the doors opened, the momentum of the shop has been growing, Lucy Crown said.
“Every month has been growing incrementally, but our neighbors were our first wave of people, and then people from the YMCA and the yoga place down the road heard about us, and different businesses started dropping by and friends bring their friends,” Crown said.
On Wednesday, Aug. 12, the coffee shop hit its latest milestone, expanding its hours into the evening. Its menu features breakfast and lunch options, as well as a full bar, rotating wines, mocktails, cheese plates and Mediterranean boards.
Home-brewed
Woodfin Coffee Department is about as local as it gets. The shop offers coffee from Dynamite Roasting Co., along with pastries from Annie’s Bakeshop and Lost Mountain Bakery. Frozen treats are from Ultimate Ice Cream.
Lucy Crown herself was raised less than a quarter-mile from the café.
“I grew up on Cherry Lane, and I live really close by now, on another street. I live next door to my parents, and my other sisters live very close by,” Lucy Crown said.
Lucy Crown said she wanted to provide a new gathering space for the neighborhood where she grew up.
“We have two nights a week that we don’t plan to be open right now,” Lucy Crown said. “I’m hoping to find creative ways to use that in our community, too. If there’s anyone who wants a pop up, or any other kind of event here that would be considered a private event, we can work with them.”
Appointments can be made by visiting the shop in person, the café owner said.
For more information about Woodfin Coffee Department, visit www.woodfincoffee.com.
