DUNWOODY, Ga. — Alpharetta/Roswell-based coffee roaster and cafe Valor Coffee is opening a second cafe in the Dunwoody Village retail center.
The cafe will sit in the 250 unit of Dunwoody Village, neighbored by tenants such as Bar{n} and Fresh Market. At over 2,000 square feet, the service area will be around three times the size of Valor’s small but bustling Alpharetta location, along with offering around 900 additional square feet of dedicated patio seating.
Riley Westbrook, who started Valor as a 19-year-old with Ethan Rivers and Ross Walters, said they chose Dunwoody for their second location simply because they love the area.
“Lots of folks thought we were a little crazy for trailblazing a third-wave/specialty coffee shop in the ‘burbs,’” Westbrook said. “But after cafe No. 1 was received so well, it just solidified, in our eyes, that these [outside the perimeter] cities need amazing coffee with friendly service as well.
“As for Dunwoody specifically,” Westbrook continued, “we love the area. There’s so much residential and housing surrounding the area and tons of people walking around and enjoying where they live. That’s one of our favorite aspects of Alpharetta – we really have that ‘neighborhood café’ vibe up there, and we think that’ll play out in Dunwoody as well.”
Co-Founders Ross Walters and Riley Westbrook work the grinds in 2019.
In 2016, Rivers, Walters and Westbrook started Valor as a mobile espresso cart that catered weddings, film sets and other events. Three years later, they opened their first cafe in Historic Downtown Alpharetta, and in December 2020, they opened their headquarters/roastery in northern Roswell.
Westbrook said he thinks what sets the cafe apart are the core foundations and values they’ve put in place for their staff to grow upon.
“Obviously, we didn’t perfectly hit every single aspect of the buildout of our first space, but we really think we created something special: a space where people feel welcome, days are made, and incredible coffee and bites are served,” Westbrook said. “Now our hope is to take that energy, that heart, and pick it up and move it 11 miles down [Ga.] 400.”
Valor projects buildout completion and opening to come fall/winter 2022.
— Chamian Cruz
