Anna Bialkowski
Staff Writer
Lakeland’s alternative drive-through coffee shop has recently undergone some monumental changes.
On Jan. 24, the Instagram of what used to be happyfastdelicious released a post saying, “So, happyfastdelicious is closing tomorrow…kind of.”
Taking place in the form of a rebrand, happyfastdelicious closed its operations and reopened as Andrew’s Coffee. Through a series of posts via Instagram, Andrew’s Coffee had quite the hard launch, posting what happyfastdelicious did wrong and what Andrew’s Coffee has changed, such as 75% of the drinks being under $5 and having an in-person drive-through, rather than just accepting orders exclusively through the app.
There is certainly a comedic element to this rebrand, as shown through the graphic saying that Andrew’s Coffee will “hopefully make money” and the shop owner, Andrew Nesi, dressing up as a banana.
happyfastdelicious was a buzz for Florida Southern students over the past few months. With the store opening in March 2023, it was peculiar to see this alternative drive-through-only shop make its way from the West Coast to Lakeland.
The funky drink flavors with silly names, bubbly seltzers and a drive through option were sure to throw happyfastdelicious onto the road to success.
This past fall, they partnered with several of the Greek organizations on campus for a fundraising competition. This was to help promote not only their brand but to also to give Greek organizations on campus more exposure. Delta Delta Delta, the chapter with the most purchases of their created drink, received over $1000 towards their philanthropic efforts.
Regardless of this partnership, happyfastdelicious was still dwindling in relevancy and profits; something was missing. The time came to make a change.
Store manager Katie LeCapitaine and Nesi dove into this process to investigate what tweaks could make their store shine again. Recognizing three significant drawbacks– one-time buyers, espresso roasts, and prices– LeCapitaine explained that “we felt like a different coffee shop,” and that they might as well dive deeper and make more minor adjustments.
By the time more non-coffee options were added, the freezie recipe improved, and the chocolate sauce was perfected, happyfastdelicious was an emblem of the past, and Andrew’s Coffee was born.
These changes revitalized the interest among Lakelanders. In only two days of reopening, the store was running low on how much coffee they had – Andrew had ordered twice as much as they would normally need.
“We’ve tripled the amount of orders we do in a day,” barista and FSC senior Lily Brewster said.
Inside of the shop, the environment inspires creative experientiality.
“We are small enough that we can easily do fun, creative, wild ideas,” LeCapitaine said.
The menu is by no means a fixed medium; the baristas are an integral part of developing unique drinks. Brewster explains that Andrew’s Coffee encourages creative liberty between customers and the barista.
“Andrew’s Coffee is so unique because it offers the opportunity for customization on every single menu item…my biggest recommendation is to come through the drive-through, share a few things that you like in your coffee, and let the baristas do the rest,” Brewster said.
LeCapitaine explained that baristas are always coming up with new drink ideas. When a drink is considered for the menu, she expresses that at least three baristas must enthusiastically give it a thumbs up. With such a driven spirit behind just the menu, you know the drinks have to be good.
All in all, the journey of Andrew’s Coffee has been authentic, with Nesi and LeCapitaine taking a very transparent, and genuine approach.
“We really wanted to put our best foot forward and be really honest and genuine and earnest and…share with people what was going on…it’s awesome that resonated with people,” LeCapitaine said.
She added that Nesi always considers other perspectives with graciousness, and with his lighthearted personality, being honest with the community comes naturally.
And all the fun isn’t just for the baristas. For any partnership inquiries or putting your own drink on the menu, send a message to LeCapitaine at katie@andrews.coffee.
