Dawn to DraftDowntown Raleigh's LGBTQ+‑owned café, bookshop & plant store by day — craft beer bar by night.

From Vision to Reality

I'm Jake Albright (he/him), a North Carolina kid who never really left Raleigh. After years of living, working, and finding my people downtown, I kept coming back to the same missing piece: an inclusive, LGBTQ+-owned spot where neighbors, allies, and chosen family can gather before the sun goes down.

I've spent countless nights bartending at the local gay bar, listening as friends, coworkers, and visitors asked for somewhere calmer to meet mentors, swap stories, or work on dreams without leaving our community behind. That chorus—and my own longing for a daylight third place—pushed me to turn the Dawn to Draft sketchbook into a real plan.

Dawn to Draft is my answer: an all-day hub serving specialty coffee, plants, books, and conversation in the morning, then offering craft beer, low-ABV pours, and zero-proof options that carry the same inclusive energy after 5 p.m.

I'm building it to spotlight local makers, give LGBTQ+ creatives and allied partners shelf space, and host the services and pop-ups the wider Raleigh community keeps requesting. This vision has lived in my notebook for years—now I'm inviting everyone to help bring it to life in downtown Raleigh.