Short Sleeves Coffee blends serious flavor in relaxed atmosphere
Swannanoa roaster sets up shop in Beacon Village
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 18, 2025
Short Sleeves Coffee, at 222 Whitson Avenue, celebrates its grand opening, May 15, in Beacon Village. Photo by Fred McCormick
Beneath the buzz that filled a previously long-vacant building in the heart of Swannanoa, May 15, Daniel and Emily Lancaster could not contain their smiles.
As the owners and founders of Short Sleeves Coffee celebrated their grand opening, the occasion marked the culmination of an effort to serve delicious roasted flavors in a laid-back atmosphere in Beacon Village.
Coffee has been a shared love for the Lancasters since the couple met, according to Daniel.
“When we started dating, we hopped around from coffee shop to coffee shop,” he said. “That’s how we got to know each other, and it created a fascination with coffee.”
Daniel’s interest in the process of crafting a flavorful and aromatic brew increased in the subsequent years.
“I did a few stints as a barista, café manager at times, and in 2021 I started roasting coffee at my house for fun,” he said.
He was encouraged by positive feedback from friends and family members.
“I made a website to make it easier for them to buy the coffee, and eventually a stranger bought some and it felt like I had a business,” Daniel said.
The local family became intrigued by the prospect of establishing a brick and mortar café in Swannanoa.
“It felt like we could use another coffee shop, and we always hoped somebody would plant one in Beacon Village,” Daniel said. “We kept saying, ‘somebody needs to do this,’ until one day we looked at each other and said, ‘what if we did it?’”
The couple explored multiple potential options in the village, which was constructed beginning in the 1920s to support the massive Beacon Manufacturing Co. mill that occupied the now-vacant lot that housed the blanket factory until it burned down in 2003. Emily and Daniel were repeatedly drawn to one particular brick structure, a former gas and service station at 222 Whitson Avenue.
Daniel and Emily Lancaster, owners and founders of Short Sleeves Coffee, bring new life to nearly century-old building in Beacon Village. Photo by Fred McCormick
“We were meeting with the landlord of another building in Beacon Village, but I had been trying to get in touch with the owner of this one,” Daniel said. “Eventually, I taped a note to the door saying we wanted to rent this building.”
The vision of Short Sleeves Coffee came into sharp focus when they were invited to see the property.
“Instantly, we felt really confident this was the space,” Daniel said. “My friend, Wendy Lewkowicz, is a realtor in the area, and she helped us so much.”
The structure is one of the oldest in downtown Swannanoa.
“It has so much character,” Daniel said. “The columns and outside area really coincided with our vision of what this shop could be.”
The concept best suited for the close-knit community was a simple one, according to the business owner, whose passion for making high-quality coffee had already taken him down “a lot of rabbit holes.”
“I started out, as an avid home barista, getting all of the pieces of gear you need to weigh it properly and grind it,” Daniel said. “We were as meticulous and detail-oriented as we could be, and that’s our approach to coffee at our bar here. We really dial in our espresso every morning, and there are definitely faster ways to make drinks, but we decided not to opt for quicker over better.”
The atmosphere of the shop, which includes indoor and outdoor seating, is a contrast to the café’s serious approach to coffee.
“We want to do everything in a way that doesn’t leave the average coffee drinker behind,” Daniel said. “Sometimes, in the specialty coffee scene, it’s possible to have a really cool space with a fedora-wearing handlebar-mustache barista behind the bar who gets angry if you don’t know the difference between a washed Nicaraguan or a natural Guatemala.
“For us, it’s important to make great coffee in a way that holds the pretention aside,” he continued. “It’s coffee that’s not for suit and tie people, but for short sleeves people.”
Wendy Lewkowicz, a realtor and broker with Nest Realty, enjoys a cup of coffee, May 15, as Short Sleeves Coffee in Swannanoa celebrates its grand opening. Photo by Fred McCormick
The airy layout lends itself to a relaxing environment, appealing to coffee lovers, families, business and personal meetings.
“It’s the antithesis of the darker serious environment that’s really popular in the coffee scene,” Daniel said. “If you really want to, we can talk coffee and have a blast doing it. But, if you’re just a person who wants to grab a quick dark roast coffee with cream and sugar, quickly, we can do that, too.”
Short Sleeves Coffee works with coffee importers throughout the region to acquire ethically sourced beans from around the world. Seasonal roasts, like Buds: A Spring Blend, which contains beans from Ethiopia, Colombia, Brazil and Guatemala, are curated throughout the year.
While the spring grand opening represented a high point for the owners, it was also a day that was jeopardized by Tropical Storm Helene.
“We were originally hoping to open last summer, but due to normal complications that come up during a renovation, we didn’t make that,” Daniel said. “Then, we set our sights on last fall, but when Helene came through, even though we were fortunate to escape major damage, we had to push it back.”
The Lancasters were uncertain about their future in the aftermath of the storm.
“We were unsure about the economic reality of opening a business in Swannanoa after the flood,” Daniel said. “But, we ran a little pop-up shop in the back of the building with a pay-what-you-can model through December, and the community was so supportive.”
The owners are hopeful their perseverance will help the surrounding village.
“Our hope is that with some of the stability a good coffee shop can provide, it inspires others to turn Beacon Village into a thriving area,” Daniel said. “To us, this feels like a great intersection for that to start.”