On the corner of Aston and Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina, there sits a double decker bus straight out of London. Or, perhaps not “straight” from London, as it served as a party and karaoke bus in Atlanta, Georgia before settling in its current location, but regardless of its former traveling occupation, it now exists in a stagnant spot.
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It’s a Double-Decker Bus Cafe
This is no negative thing, however, as since 1999 it has functioned as Double D’s Coffee and Desserts. Double D’s is a coffee shop that is both vintage and unique for Asheville, serving its goods out of the double decker bus that subsequent owners have strived to keep up-to-date, fancy, and sleek.
Greg Bounds was the original owner and instigator of the coffee brewing bus, but its has been passed through ownership multiple times, with each individual or group doing their part to make it what it is today.
The current owners, Jeff and Karen Lazzaro, have applied fresh cherry-red paint every year since they took the torch in 2009, and in 2017 began refitting the brick patio with quotes they like and names of the fellow businesses that share the stretch leading up to it.
Enjoy Your Coffee from Inside the Bus
The process of purchasing each brick benefitted the local Riverlink, Meals on Wheels, and MANNA FoodBank charities. Patrons can sit at the stone tables on that same patio, or they can sit inside the bus, where they can chat with each other and with the baristas that are trained to provide friendly and passionate customer service.
Also taking place in these spots are the occasional concerts Double D’s hosts. Musicians have been known to perform on the patio if the weather is decent, or even seated in the upstairs of the bus.
The interior of the bus is painted blue and features bench seats with red floral-patterned cushions and a ceiling of a detailed copper look, lit by fancy wall-lamps.
Serving Up Coffee From Notorious Coffee Roasting Co.
The coffee Double D’s serves comes from Notorious Coffee Roasting Co. and features drinks that can be made as hot, iced, or frappe varieties. These beverages include drip coffee, espresso, macchiatos, cappuccinos, americanos, chai, and lattes of many seasonally rotating flavors.
Every beverage comes with two shots of espresso, and that can even include the chai latte, which then becomes a dirty chai latte. Double D’s also features select signature drinks, with the namesake drink being the Double Decker White Mocha, which is a mix of espresso, white chocolate, hazelnut, coconut, and steamed milk.
Enjoy a Dessert and Coffee Pairing
As per the name, Double D’s Coffee and Desserts serves a variety of locally made desserts to pair with their coffee, and these range from cookies and brownies to cheesecakes and ice cream.
For being fashioned out of a bus that no longer provides the typical vehicular functions, Double D’s Coffee and Desserts manages to do quite a lot. Having lasted since 1999, it has become a unique staple of the Asheville community, and, even though it is a bus, there are no signs of it going anywhere.
Double D’s provides their hours upon calling, as they are always changing with the seasons, but they usually range somewhere between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Address
41 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, North Carolina, 28801.
