Press, a coffee and crepe concept that catalyzed Downtown Graham, will open its second restaurant in American Tobacco’s Diamond View III this upcoming summer.
With a promise of “European Inspired, Carolina made,” the casual eatery will serve the campus’ 3,500 daily workers and more than 1.2 million annual visitors a menu of scratchmade, local breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner items seven days a week. The menu for their Graham location can be found here.
“The response we’ve seen in our Graham restaurant to our concept has been overwhelming,” says Jason Cox, co-owner, Press. “A crepe is like a great piece of bread or even a pizza–it serves as a fantastic and tasty delivery for all sorts of different flavor profiles and ingredients. Plus, we get to riff on the Carolina Made piece, taking a product that many people don’t really know and bring a mixture of both European and Southern ingredients together in unexpected and delicious ways.”
In addition to a full menu of both sweet and savory crepe options created by co-owner and culinary curator, Brett DeVries, Press aims to translate its status in Graham as a welcoming “third place” coffee shop that serves as a gathering spot outside of work and home for telecommuters, families, friends, and business meetings.
Crepe as Catalyst
In 2016, Brett DeVries & Jason Cox prioritized an accessible menu and environment for their Triad patrons but they also had another goal in mind: downtown revitalization.
As investors and stakeholders in the Graham community, Cox & DeVries knew its downtown needed a boost that would come from the type of gathering space afforded by one-of-a-kind businesses like breweries, bakeries, coffee shops, and restaurants.
“After figuring I couldn’t brew beer or bake a cake, we decided to focus on best in class coffee and built a restaurant concept around it that was unique, tasty and accessible,” says Cox. “Since opening the restaurant, we’ve seen foot traffic in Downtown Graham explode with new groups taking over additional storefronts and bringing this community back.”
It is a story shared by the team at their new home at American Tobacco.
“Fifteen years ago, the only people who would consider investing in Downtown Durham were risk takers and vision makers who saw the untapped potential in what lay before them,” says Adam Klein, strategist, American Tobacco. “Like so many of the entrepreneurs who have come to Durham since its renaissance to start and grow their businesses, Jason and Brett have a clear vision for where they want to go and how they plan to get there.”
Cover photo by @presscandc
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