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RTP just got a new anchor for morning coffee runs and working lunches. DRIFT Coffee & Kitchen opened Nov. 12 inside Horseshoe at Hub RTP, serving espresso, smoothies, and a from-scratch breakfast-and-lunch menu in a bright space that spills onto outdoor seating by greenways and a restored creek. Horseshoe is billed as the district’s gathering place, with 16 acres of greenspace, a splash fountain, and an event lawn.
Built with coastal-cafe DNA, founders Michael Powell and Ben Powell shaped Drift after time in Australia and New Zealand; this RTP shop mirrors that ethos with a calming, nature-adjacent setting along Burdens Creek. Menu snapshot: classic espresso, cold brew, matcha; smoothies like Sunrise (mango/banana/coconut/orange) and Aztec (banana/almond butter/cacao); breakfast staples from a Bodega Breakfast Sandwich to Avocado Toast and Acai Bowls; and, after 11 a.m., Chicken Pesto Bowls, Market/Harvest Bowls, Caprese or Chicken Mozzarella “Toasty,” and a Chopped Salad. A Wilmington roastery is slated to begin in 2026, deepening sourcing…